A new endeavor is underway: the first space-based nation called Asgardia. This project has many international scientists involved, and the project was founded by Igor Ashurbeyli.
Credits: James Vaughan/Asgardia
The first announcement about the project was made last year, but since then scientists have proceeded with filling at the FCC for their data storage satellite. There are legal concerns regarding data storage if they launch from a country that has international law obligations to space treaties. But if they can launch from elsewhere, they won't have to obey any international laws. The new Wild West could be found in the blackness of space.
In addition to data storage, the Norse mythology named station will run asteroid mining missions, and provide defense for Earth against meteorites, space debris, and other serious threats.
In October 2016 they started recruiting for the station. Over 180,000 applicants have filed to join the new space-nation, with the first 100,000 having been granted Asgardia citizenship. The final symbol for the flag and and national anthem are being crowd-sourced for development.
Here is one such example:
Source: asgardia
Like in Star Trek, the mission was to go where "no man has gone before". Humanity explores. We left Africa to cover the globe, and soon that conquering "spirit" will be unleashed into space.
The first part of the project is the data-storage satellite, scheduled for launch in September 2017 (60 years after the first Sputnik 1 was launched). It's a CubeSat satellite, 10cm wide and weighing 1kg and preloaded with data on a 512GB SSD.
The mission is intended to 'demonstrate long term storage of data in low earth orbit', although the satellite itself will remain aloft for only five years before atmospheric friction drags it down and burns it up
With no laws set up yet, private citizens may exploit the Wild West of Space. There can be marriages and babies born in space in space, but also theft and murder in space. Laws and rules for behavior within a society are needed everywhere, not just on the big-blue Earth.
One thing that is of concern, is the effects of Zero-G on the human body in development. A sci-fi series called The Expanse has expounded on this aspect of space-living with a group of exploited workers called "Belters" who work asteroids belts for mining, just like the stated goals of Asgardia. They are much thinner and have less muscle mass. They are unable to set foot on their home planet Earth because of the zero gravity effect on the developing human body.
It's an interesting future for humanity. This project will be something to pay attention to.
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Interesting. Every space exploration gives me thrills. It's a shame we stopped the space race after the Cold war. There is so much to discover even in our orbit, Moon, not speaking of Mars yet, those NASA news were amazing last year. I once wanted to put camera with a gps in a basket with a helium filled baloon. Just to capture some photos for my collection. Apparently I didn't do it because of risk of losing 2000$ camera etc. Well, maybe next time. Sorry for off-topic, upvoted.
That would be a neat thing to do, but you might lose it in the end like you say lol
Interesting... hadn't heard of this before. Personally, kind of like the name Asgardia since I'm Danish and it seems nicely symmetrical with the old Vikings being explorers-- and, in essence, searching for "Vinland" as a new utopia.
In general, I just like the idea that the exploration and development of space travel and habitation is no longer just the domain of governmental agencies.
Oh, and nice to "see" you around these parts again!
Yeah, get the control away from governments, as long as rational just laws are employed ;)
Thanks, not sure how long I'll be back... the flags will persist I suspect, and I don't like being treated like shit by one single-handed ruler of who decides who gets to keep their rewards, in a so-called "community". I was posting when the price was at all time lows, and stopped when the price started going up. Integrity hurts the wallet sometimes :P Many people stopped posting when the price went down, now they all of a sudden come back because the price is right.
The flagging seems to be slowly dying down... "the usual suspects" occasionally still have their little skirmishes, but with 1000+ new accounts coming onboard daily they become more and more isolated. "Reward Pool Rape" remains a thing. We'll see what HF.19 brings...
But I commend you for thinking with your values, rather than your wallet.
All that is required is one person with lots of SP (bernie), not liking someone (me), and then flagging all their posts just because they can. This is still ongoing. I don't doubt it has stopped for pretty much everyone else lol.
"Equality" HF is a joke. Lower accounts will go up a bit, but the rich plutocratic rulers will still rule, and that will mean the abuse of power I endure will persist. No justice, just more abuse of power to remove rewards from someone allegedly being "over rewarded" while pumping up other posts. bernie vote son people up to $1500, but my $80 is "overrewarded" to him. He single handedly controls who can get to keep their rewards. He cheated the no-whale rule by sock-puppetting his whale power and just vote with 5 accounts instead of just 1.
Meanwhile, he uses that sock puppet whale power to flag me and remove my rewards that supporters allocated. I can't use Steemit like others can. Upvoters "buy" my product and allocate rewards, but a rich guy comes along to "unbuy" what others have "bought" and taking the rewards the allocate away. That is a form of abuse of power and censorship to keep me down.
That sounds very interesting, a country in the sky! But the reality is that we are not yet capable of being a space species. By that I mean we do not have the ability to create a gravitational field, so we would be floating in space all the time. And floating all the time is not healthy for the body, in the sense of being able to return to earth after that.
Also there is the possibility of debris hitting the space station, so all by all, it is a nice idea but I do not see it taking of just yet.
Indeed. It might be a country, but you won't be living their your whole life as you won't be able to set foot on Earth with higher gravity that your body wasn't accustomed to. Thanks for the feedback.
I can't take it seriously because of the name. I keep reading ass-guard-ia. A bunch of billionaire's protecting their ass so it fits.
Asgard is like the Norse "heaven" where all the gods live. That's where it's from ;) Asgard-ia. The phonetics are as 'az', not 'ass'.
Still doesn't change how I read it lol.
Of all the things to shitpost, I'd expect nothing less from you lol.
soooo true!!!:o
That would be amazing if there was a nation in space. It would definitley help space tourism! It would make it way easier to take a vacation to space.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
????
Hope humans will have access to steemit in space ;)
i like the post!!but i think this is not for all humans!!:0
all i can think about is thor and his brother. and his brother was a jerk, we are just moving jerks into space, hope they packed a backup 512gb SSD - i have to say i am interested in all the private satellite companies putting stuff up there. i'll pay more attention to these projects when we have the whole planet covered with satellite connectivity at a decent price.
nice post
Very cool! I've never heard of this before. I'm definitely going to get much more info about this for sure!! Thanks for the post!!
Fascinating... Dont know if this is for real or no, but i guess something like this will actually happens in the future... it is just about time!
hmm, asgardia?
maybe i can get autograph form thor there, i hope so^^
by the way, you make a good article..
Society is evolving rapidly leading us to new ventures in human existence.
Lovely post, thanks for sharing the information:)
Super interesting article! Thank you for sharing!
Interesting concept but I doubt we'll see a fully functioning Asgardia this side of 2030! The use of the Norse name intrigues me. I wonder if society will now be decentralised?
Yeah it will take a long time hehe.
@krnel don't you think its not for all humans?
i am getting ready for this @krnel
:0 nice to see you again :) I'm out for now will check back later :)
Very Nice post. Thank you!
this is dope, i wanna go to space! but i dont care much for the law, so i say do what u want in space
Thank you !
Soooo cool, will preserve mankind in case of catastrophes on earth.
Thanks for this information.
See my related post of yesterday: https://steemit.com/space/@dicksamson/500-000-have-applied-for-citizenship-in-asgardia-the-budding-space-nation