The
concept of space nations has
been a staple of science fiction for a long time
coming, but an international group of scientists and entrepreneurs have begun serious proposition of
the establishment of
Asgardia
. Named after the city of the skies ruled by Odin in Norse mythology, the
Asgardia
project has already recruited citizens to be part of its future. Its announcement has sparked
much discussion and unanswered questions.
Asgardia
is a prototype of a free and unrestricted society, a placeholder for knowledge, intelligence
and science at its core while recognising the value of each human life. This ambition was announced at
a press conference in Paris in October 2016. Its core aim is to launch a robotic satellite as early as the end
of 2017 or 2018, followed by the establishment of a permanent space station that will act as a nation in
outer space. The preliminary idea proposes a society governed by 12 ministries. The first eleven ministries
are fixed, while the 12
th
ministry would be decided by popular
community. Becoming a citizen of
Asgardia
is as simple as filling a form on their official webpage [1].
Its utopian concept, while perhaps slightly far-fetched, is at least grounded in noble motivation.
The launching of a robotic satellite would potentially act as a shield for Earth, protecting it from cosmic
rays, space debris and asteroids, according to a press release. Perhaps more worryingly, Earth’s natural
resources will likely be depleted in the near future and building a space nation would be a nifty solution.
Finally, a curiosity for the unknown and to step into the unexplored are deeply entrenched in
human nature. Just as humans were driven to discover new Earthly continents centuries
past, space exploration is a natural step in progression [2].
While there has been much debate about
Asgardia
’s feasibility as a
recognised and legal nation, its scientific achievability is just as ambitious.
Scientists have proposed that
Asgardia
’s role in defending Earth against
asteroids, for instance, would involve firing powerful lasers to alter
the trajectory of the asteroid away from Earth. To minimise rays of
charged particles from the sun that damage satellites, scientists
propose giant magnetic fields that deflect these harmful particles.
Not only would these projects require large sums of investments to
get started, they are also scientifically challenging.
For now, the proposers of
Asgardia
have remained relatively
vague. Its initiation has undoubtedly sparked discussion on
space regulations, which are currently lacking. Unlike the
International Space Station, which is a joint venture between
nations,
Asgardia
aims to be one entity. For now, the initiators
hope that the project would be crowdfunded. Signing up to
