INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Vienna, Austria: It sounds appealing given the state of politics on Earth: a plan to launch a utopian "space
nation" with the aim of transcending earthly divisions.At a lavish ceremony in Vienna's Hofburg Palace on Monday, some 200 attendees
inaugurated Russian scientist and businessman Igor Ashurbeyli as the first "head of nation" of Asgardia, named after a realm in Norse
mythology.Ashurbeyli has been the driving force behind the concept, announcing the creation of Asgardia two years ago.According to
Ashurbeyli, Asgardia's citizens now number some 200,000 across the world, drawn by a vision of "space politics" over geopolitics.The aim is
to get the "most creative" members of the human race -- which Ashurbeyli estimates at roughly two percent of the world's population, or some
150 million people -- to sign up.Space is the only arena left to humanity to escape environmental degradation and a ceaseless arms race,
according to Ashurbeyli.On Earth "your field of vision is limited to your elevation," whereas space would allow people to have a
"three-dimensional picture" of their problems, Ashurbeyli told AFP.He admits that utopia won't come cheap
So far he has funded the project with his own money and that of some other private donors
But in the future Asgardians will all be expected to pay an annual "citizenship fee" of 100 euros as well as income and business taxes.He
plans to apply for UN recognition and said Monday he has had "informal contacts" with some countries to form bilateral ties, but that he
could not name them.As to the physical difficulties of putting human beings in space, Ashurbeyli claims he can build on his own scientific
experience to enable permanent human settlements on the Moon within 25 years.But for now Asgardia already has a flag, a constitution and an
anthem with a "digital currency" to follow soon, the "solar". Ashurbeyli was officially sworn in by former British MP Lembit Opik, who was
made head of Asgardia's parliament by his fellow MPs on Sunday.They in turn have been elected by their fellow Asgardians in online
polls.Opik is confident Asgardia can transcend the divisions of Earth-based politics and points to the example of his friendship with Nigel
Evans, a current UK lawmaker and now an Asgardian one too.They may be poles apart when it comes to British politics but they're both fully
on board with the vision for the new space nation.
