While many of us were contemplating our upcoming holiday menus, a relatively-new “space nation” called Asgardia was launching its first satellite, the eponymous Asgardia-1, from a Nasa facility in Virginia. While this may at first appear trivial or gimmicky, an astute observer will note the significance of this development. Consider that we may well be witnessing the creation of an entirely new type of legal entity, a “space nation.” In light of the apparent demand for “citizenship” in Asgardia and the favorable media coverage it has received, we should expect to see a growing number of so-called “space nations,” each with its own unique offering of citizenship benefits.

Founded in October 2016, Asgardia the space nation is a concept created and driven by 53-year-old Russian rocket scientist and billionaire Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli. Dr. Ashurbeyli founded Asgardia in October 2016 with the stated mission of ensuring “peace in space,” and has completely self-funded the venture. With favorable press coverage Asgardia achieved its goal of 100,000 “citizens” and has launched its first satellite – a micro satellite called a nanosat that is about the size of two-liter soda bottle – on a Nasa commercial cargo vehicle named OA-8 Antares-Cygnus. On the satellite is a 512-GB hard drive containing the personal data – typically a name and a photograph – for 18,000 of Asgardia’s citizens. The data was submitted by the citizens themselves for inclusion in this special “first,” which is emotionally sentimental for some. The satellite also carries Asgardia’s constitution, flag, and coat of arms. Asgardia-1 was launched from Earth on November 12, and rendezvoused with the International Space Station on November 15, 2017.

In early December, Asgardia-1 will then be released into low earth orbit to begin its (short) life orbiting the Earth. Because it does not have its own propulsion system, Asgardia-1 is only expected to be able to maintain its orbit for five to 18 months. After Asgardia-1 loses sufficient velocity to begin re-entry, it will quickly lose speed and burn up in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Because of the size and material composition of Asgardia-1, there is no chance that any part of it could survive re-entry. Asgardia, of course, intends to launch a series of additional micro satellites in the near future.

According to Asgardia’s website, citizenship is open to most persons on the planet who are willing to accept and abide by Asgardia’s constitution. The only criteria are that the person must be over 18 years of age and must have an email address. Earthly nationality, gender, religious beliefs, race, and financial standing play no role in determining citizenship applications.

The significance of the development of a new legal framework – the space nation – should not be missed in the marketing and media frenzy. Asgardia is preparing to hold its first elections. It also has plans to apply to the United Nations for recognition as a sovereign space nation. Those who wish to be deeply involved in developing the future law of space nations are likely to find Asgardia their best opportunity. It is certain that the detailed and well-thought-out legislative framework being developed by Dr. Ashurbeyli and his Asgardians will have a lasting impact on the law of space nations.

If the reader has any doubt about the broad scope of Dr. Ashurbeyli’s vision for Asgardia and the law of space nations, his statements on Asgardia’s website eliminate that doubt. Through Asgardia, he plans is to “create a new judicial reality in space”: