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The first space-based nation is accepting applications for citizenship

Alternative World News NetworkOct 14, 2016, 6:45:58 PM
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I you have been interested in becoming a citizen of space, your moment may be coming.

It's called Asgardia and it is a space station that will house upwards of 150 million people.  Though it will start off slowly, says CEO and project team leader Igor Ashurbeyli, it will be a place for any citizen of Earth to apply and join.

You can apply to be one of the first 100,000 people to join on their website.

Ashurbeyli, who is also a scientist, believes that a space-based nation that is focused on protecting Earth is much needed, diagramming two of the goals of Asgardia as serving humanity and maintaining peace in space.

They are seeking adventurous, progressive and creative people.

"If you look at a nation’s population, statistically, 2 percent of the population are creative and productive and progressive, so we hope that looking at the population of Earth, 7.5 billion, we are hoping that 150 million would be those creative progressive people [who become Asgardians]," Ashurbeyli told Space.com.

This illustration of a futuristic-looking satellite orbiting the Earth is on the website for the Asgardia project, a mission to create a space-based country.

Credit: James Vaughan

It could be some time before the station begins construction.  As of now, the first Asgardian satellite will be launched in 2017.

"The [Asgardia] vision is very, very clear," says Ram Jakhu,  the director of McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Lab in Montreal, and also the Asgardia project team legal expert.  "This nation will do things to help protect the Earth and, secondly, it will be for exclusively peaceful purposes and also allowing access to developing countries that don't have that [space access]. So, if that is done, recognition will not be a major problem. If these four elements [territory, people, government and recognition] are achieved it become a state and can apply for its membership of the United Nations."

Once statehood is sanctioned by the UN, things get interesting.

Currently, it costs nothing to apply for citizenship.  The country will be a focused democracy that specializes in space technology.