In 2016, Russian-Azerbaijani scientist and billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli created the Space Kingdom of Asgardia, the world’s first virtual space nation -- “home” to about 140,000 people from more than 200 countries who have successfully applied for citizenship. Ashurbeyli wants Asgardia to be a peaceful society that gives its citizens, regardless of their Earth-based nationality, a voice in how Asgardia is governed. Anyone over 18 years old with an email address can become a citizen of Asgardia by signing up on the space nation's website. So far, Asgardia's only physical territory consists of a satellite in low Earth orbit containing data about Asgardia's citizens, but Ashurbeyli hopes that is just the beginning for his virtual nation.
The new frontier of Asgardia:
- Ashurbeyli hopes to convince the United Nations to recognize Asgardia as a sovereign nation. That would require the approval of a two-thirds majority in the UN Security Council.
- Asgardia’s team hopes to eventually create habitable platforms in low Earth orbit, and launch manned test flights within eight years.
- Asgardia has its own cryptocurrency: the Solar, which is registered at the European Union Intellectual Property Office.