Asgardia's ambition is to gain UN membership, but the Security Council must first approve its application to be considered a nation. / James Vaughan
In November, ‘Asgardia’ launched its first satellite from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, taking to outer space the data of 18,000 citizens, including family photos, a digital representation of its flag, and its constitution. What else do we know about the first independent virtual nation?
The world's first independent space nation, founded in October 2016, was named after a Norse mythological city of the skies, Asgard.
The nation is free to join, and 114,000 people from 204 counties have already done so. However, the population dropped to 211,000 in June at the time of voting for the constitution. Only those who agreed to adopt the constitution are considered full-fledged Asgardians.
The largest population of Asgardia live in China, Turkey and the U.S.
The new nation's mission is to provide a "peaceful society," offer easier access to space technologies, and protect Earth from threats, such as asteroids and space debris.
Anyone over 18 and with an email address can apply for citizenship, including ex-convicts as long as they are clear of charges at the time of application.
The “father of the nation” and main investor is a 53-year-old rocket scientist, Azerbaijan-born Russian citizen Igor Ashurbeyli. He is reported to be a billionaire, though he has never appeared on Forbes' richest lists.
Prior to Asgardia, Ashurbeyli founded the Aerospace International Research Center (AIRC) in Vienna, and today he is chairman of UNESCO's Science of Space committee. Asgardia is a project he's been dreaming of since childhood.
Asgardia's ambition is to gain UN membership, but the Security Council must first approve its application to be considered a nation. Then, two-thirds of General Assembly members must vote for its admission.
Asgardia plans to form a democratic government, a prosecutors office, national audit office and other governmental bodies. These state agencies will be run by Asgardians in the locations they represent, and the administrative center will be in Vienna.
Asgardia will not have an army, and the nation's citizens will be able to take advantage of their "dual citizenship.” If they have problems on Earth, they can seek protection in the embassy of Asgardia.