The project plans to launch the first of many satellites in the fall of 2017. In theory, the nation will not have territories on Earth, but will consist entirely of a satellite network in orbit. He will also have his own government and regulatory bodies, and will vote on his laws.
The nation will be called Asgardia, the city of the skies of northern mythology, ruled by Odin and Thor, and intends to apply for the nation's official status at the United Nations (UN).
The program was announced on October 12 at a conference in Paris. The project leader is Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, director of the Vienna aerospace research center and chairman of the UNESCO Space Committee (a difficult personality not to take seriously).
During the conference, the scientist explained the purpose of the project to journalists: "The essence of Asgardia is peace in space, preventing conflicts on Earth being transferred to orbit. Asgardia is unique from the philosophical point of view: its purpose is to serve humanity and every individual, regardless of his personal wealth or the prosperity of his state of origin "
Project promoters also imagine Asgardia as a possible platform for exploring our Solar System, or even deep space. They also revealed that they had in mind the construction of a "cosmic shield" to protect themselves from meteorites and space junk.
Entries to the project were opened on the official website of Asgardia, and the number has already reached 84,000 entries (over 100,000 available so far).
Ashurbeyli aims to reach 150 million citizens, but they will not all live in space; Like the citizens of a state abroad, will be able to stay on Earth but still have Asgardian citizenship, and work with their state.
"If we consider the population of a nation," he said, "Statistically, 2% are made up of the most creative, progressive, and productive citizens. 2% of 7 billion is 150 million, and we hope these people become Asgard citizens. "
Ram Jakhu, rector of McGill University of Montreal specializing in legal space issues, reported at space.com that "Asgardia's goals are very clear. This nation will help Earth through the space base, and will also allow developing nations to have representatives in space. "
The Deep Space Treaty, signed in 1967 during the Cold War, stipulates that any activity in space must be under the control of a nation. In a nutshell, it is impossible to send rockets or satellites into orbit without government approval. Ashurbeyli, on the other hand, intends to encourage private space exploration.
The Treaty stipulates that none of its signatories may have territories in space, and Ashurbeyli sees this as a limitation. For this reason, the launch of the first satellite will likely occur in non-signatories in the African Overseas Treaty (OST), such as Ethiopia, or Kenya.
