Did you know that Asgardia has several social media accounts to meet your on-the-go news and information needs? Facebook https://www.facebook.com/asgardia.space/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AsgardiaSpace Telegram https://t.me/Asgardia_channel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/asgardia_space/ We hope to see you there!

The Asgardia Space News team released a lot of news items since our last digest on Friday! Chandrayaan 2's Fourth Step Towards the Moon Accomplished https://bit.ly/2GGYLCc India’s Chandrayaan 2 completed it’s fourth orbit out of five on it’s trip to the Moon. What is it and what are its mission parameters? Everything is Under Control, China Just Crashed into the Moon https://bit.ly/2MDtFir According to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration, one of its two small twin-satellites, Longjiang-2, crashed into the Moon July 31. Why did they do that? What's the European Data Relay System All About? https://bit.ly/2GGLfOU The European Data Relay System (EDRS) is a sophisticated laser communication network, developed in a public-private partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. What is it and why was it created? Filling Mars 2020 Rover With Nuclear Fuel Heats Anticipation of July 2020 Launch https://bit.ly/2KpQdQW The Mars 2020 Rover is coming together nicely. What is still needed to be done before launch? Sci-Fi Sunday https://bit.ly/2ZyfYF4 Each week we bring you some of the top stories in Sci Fi! This week we have old is the new hotness, crossovers news, and renewals of series! Why is the Milky Way Warped? Scientists Get Closer to Answer https://bit.ly/2MDHZHJ Astronomers were able to chart the galaxy in 3D on a larger scale than ever before finding it that the Milky Way is much more twisted and warped than previously thought. Why is that? Surprise! 100-Meter Asteroid Zooms Past Earth https://bit.ly/2MJlRvR On July 31 2019 an asteroid flew past the Earth. Why wasn’t it detected and how large was it? Parliamentary Update https://bit.ly/2OFjTPo Each week the members of parliament hold an informal sitting. Here’s the news we have from this weeks meeting! Millions of Black Holes Exist – and Scientists Think They Know How to Find Them https://bit.ly/2YECTNL Two astrophysicists say they have a plan on how to locate black holes. How are they going to do it and why? Don't forget to follow the Parliamentary and Asgardia Team blogs today! Parliamentary Blog https://bit.ly/2Yzrij4 Asgardia Team Blog https://bit.ly/2YH8Fhq What are your thoughts about the weekends’ articles? Comment below!

// Physical Sitting Confirmed // Parliament has agreed to hold a physical sitting after passing a vote on the matter during the Parliamentary sitting earlier this month. Chairman of Parliament, Lembit Öpik cited this physical sitting as an important moment for the nation as it would allow Parliament to come together to establish intense workshops over the duration of the Sitting. The focus for the Physical Sitting will be on the development of Asgardia’s economy - this sitting will be an ‘economic summit’ of sorts that will have the goal of jumpstarting the Nation’s drive towards financial independence. In addition to it being a physical meeting, there will also be full digital facilities to enable those who are unable to attend to connect remotely - this decision was taken to ensure the highest possible attendance and accessibility. --- // Parliament Discuss improving security // Parliament has been discussing security - As a digital Nation, it will come as no surprise that Asgardia faces a wide range of cybersecurity challenges that it must be prepared for. The Minister of Safety and Security highlighted during the Parliamentary Sitting that this would be a primary focus for their work. With plans to develop a communications network of its own in outer space, Asgardia will need to develop robust laws and standards to ensure that infrastructure and residents are safe from possible ‘cyber-attacks’. --- // Voting results will be released soon // In a previous sitting, members of Parliament voted to have ‘open votes’ - while the votes have always been recorded for posterity - open voting means that the results of the voting, including the names of the members of Parliament that voted, will be made a matter of public record. In the coming days, once the votes are counted and verified by the due process outlined by the counting commission, the results are expected to be released by way of decree from the Head of Nation, Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli. --- // Simultaneous Translation Service // Asgardia is in talks with video conferencing software provider ‘Zoom’ to potentially be their flagship customer for their upcoming Simultaneous Translation Service. Asgardia has been developing a relationship with Zoom for some time after selecting it as the platform for digital gatherings and meetings. The new translation service will mean that Asgardia can come one step closer to holding its meetings in all 12 languages outlined in the Constitution - something that Parliament has been working towards and researching for some time. Being able to provide the meetings and Sittings in multiple languages will help to provide the maximum accessibility for those that are not fluent in English and will help to promote a better dialogue between the Parliamentarians. Currently, meetings are held in English and translations into Russian and Spanish are provided by skilled interpreters.

Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar: A Guided Tour of the Solar System by Bonnie J Buratti A book is written by a scientist with plenty of expertise in the subject. And there's an asteroid named after the author! https://bit.ly/2KdPrHO

Discovered by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in 1801, the dwarf planet Ceres was the first, and largest, object to be considered an asteroid. It is located in the Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and accounts for 33% of the entire belt’s mass. Do you know any great facts about the dwarf planet Ceres? Comment below!

Here is a round up of some of the articles the Asgardia Space News team released in the last day! Happy birthday, Yury Romanenko! https://bit.ly/2Oyiavc Yury Romanenko spent 430 days 20 hours 21 minutes 30 seconds in space. He celebrated his 75th birthday on August 1 2019. Read all about him and his accomplishments! Video of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVanMpqo94E Watch this video about a ‘promising world’ for life — the newly found Super-Earth. The GJ 357 planet, which is 31 light-years from Earth, was discovered by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite TESS. Surprisingly, it receives the same amount of energy as Mars from the Sun. Could there be life on this Super-Earth? Credits: Space.com LightSail 2’s Solar Sail Soars to Success! https://bit.ly/2KnJ7N8 LIghtSail 2 successfully completed its orbit around the Earth becoming the first solar sail craft to do so. What is it? Who made it? What are they trying to accomplish? Russian Scientists Gear Up to Test Artificial Gravity Centrifuge on the ISS https://bit.ly/2MCVZBo Artificial gravity is one of the technologies that are crucial to long term habitation and exploration of space. Russian scientists are exploring one way on how to create it. How are they doing it and what tests are being conducted? Setting a New Record for Fastest Trip to the ISS https://bit.ly/2YCFoA2 Getting supplies to the ISS safely and quickly is a crucial task. The Progress MS-12 cargo ship just beat all records recently. How did they do it? Mars 2020 Rover Team 'Advancing on all Fronts' https://bit.ly/2YxDsZT NASA’s Mars 2020 rover is coming together at a quick pace. What is its status and how long before it heads to the Red Planet? Don't forget to follow the Parliamentary and Asgardia Team blogs today! Parliamentary Blog https://bit.ly/2Yzrij4 Asgardia Team Blog https://bit.ly/2YH8Fhq What are your thoughts about today’s articles? Comment below!

The Asgardia Space News team has been bringing the latest space, science, and tech news to Asgardians for the last year. We don’t want you to miss even one article so here’s the latest in the last 24 hours! NanoRacks: First UAE Astronaut, Student Experiments and 'Death Wish Coffee' in Space https://bit.ly/2ysf6pz Did you know that in less than two months first Emirati astronaut arrives at the ISS to conduct a series of scientific experiments? Scientists Take a Photo of What Einstein Described as 'Spooky Action' https://bit.ly/2GF509m Einstein once described the phenomenon of quantum entanglement as a 'spooky action at a distance.' Scientists have finally captured a photo of the phenomena that Einstein and other scientists of his time thought was impossible. How did they do it? Lessons from Anti-Satellite Weapon Tests https://bit.ly/2K5f6CA Anti satellite weapon tests, are they a good idea or not? What impact would they have on space travel and living in space? Area 51 Among Spacecraft — Mysterious X-37B https://bit.ly/2LOoZXr The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, what is it? What types of missions did it fly? We don’t know much but we do know some. Snowball Planets May Be Habitable After All https://bit.ly/2YDbyzs A new study published in AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research says that these types of planets may be possible. How could we survive? What types of conditions would there be? Dark Shadows of the Apollo 11: Previously Hidden Moon Landing Scene Released https://bit.ly/2K7sQg5 The original footage from the Apollo 11 moon landings was found and auctioned off. Now the world can watch that historic footage with never before seen footage included! Don't forget to follow the Parliamentary and Asgardia Team blogs today! Parliamentary Blog https://bit.ly/2Yzrij4 Asgardia Team Blog https://bit.ly/2YH8Fhq

Winds on Neptune are very strong. The speed of hurricane winds on the planet exceeds 2000 km / h. Only once a spacecraft approached and studied the planet: it was NASA’s Voyager 2, in 1989. During the expedition, the existence of a magnetic field was confirmed, and several new satellites were discovered. No new expeditions to the planet are planned in the near future.

Did you know that Asgardia has a news section? Here's some of the articles from the last 24 hours that you may have missed! Investing in the Business of Space: Should You Do It? https://bit.ly/2MlTqDO Virgin Galactic will become the first commercial space company to go public. Is this a good idea? Should you invest? Human-Animal Hybrids to Be Made in Japan https://bit.ly/3179WvG Japan has green lit an experimental study of animal-human hybrids with human-cell organs. Can it be done? Should it be done? The Sun, Recreated in a Lab on Earth https://bit.ly/2YgMvTy Physicists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recreated solar winds in a lab using a Big Red Plasma Ball – a model of our sun. What is it? What did they learn and what does this mean for future space study of our star? Italian Astronaut Reports Signs of Climate Change Seen From Space https://bit.ly/2LOnTeb Italian ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano has a birds eye view and will command the orbital laboratory on the ISS. He had some profound words to say on the matter. Starship Evolution: More Upgrades of SpaceX Rocket Announced https://bit.ly/2YvOD4Y The work always continues to make space travel safe and economical. Elon Musk announced updates to their starship that will make the long trip to Mars. Don't forget to follow the Parliamentary and Asgardia Team blogs today! Parliamentary Blog https://bit.ly/2Yzrij4 Asgardia Team Blog https://bit.ly/2YH8Fhq

Did you know that Asgardia has several social media accounts to meet your on-the-go news and information needs? Facebook https://www.facebook.com/asgardia.space/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AsgardiaSpace Telegram https://t.me/Asgardia_channel Instagram https://www.instagram.com/asgardia_space/ We hope to see you there!

Catch up with Asgardian news since last Monday! See more in the news section! https://asgardia.space/en/news

A message written by Asgardia’s Minister of Information and Communication, Lena De Winne, has been featured on the official Mexican Space Agency website. Read about it in the article by the AsgardiaSpaceNews team! https://bit.ly/2SNnklA #AsgardiaSpaceNation #AsgardiaSpaceNews

Every week we release a weekly round up of top sci fi news in the media. This week, we lost an icon of the genre. https://bit.ly/2MnG8GQ #AsgardiaSpaceNews

Exciting times in Parliament. This week we are having our fourth digital Sitting. We will discuss important points like our legislative priorities for the next year and the process of amending the constitution. The Citizenship Committee recently had a meeting with mayors of several cities around the world, like Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, Damascus and Curitiba. The importance of the mayors becoming more involved with the residents was discussed, and there was talk of establishing clarity in the functions they have. The trade and Commerce committee has been discussing Parliaments physical session in October, commercialization of Parliament, and how Parliament may help in creating income to support the budget. The Minister had stated it was important that the goals and objectives of the committee remained aligned to his so that they worked in unison thus strengthening trade and commerce within Asgardia. One initiative that came out of that meeting was creating a database that would keep track of business proposals within Parliament, and provide a way that the information could be easily accessed and maintained. The Chair of Trade and Commerce rolled out a new test program that he is hopeful will do what needs to be done without having to put a strain on the economy of Asgardia. This committee has also got all their priority legislation written, and most of this legislation has already been sent for 30 plus signatures. These Acts were a collaborative effort amongst several committees who gave valuable input during the revising phase of the Acts. An additional Act assigned was the Intellectual Properties Act, this Act is still in the reviewing phase among several committees, but should go for 30 plus signatures by next week. One of the tasks that have been keeping the Science Committee busy for the last weeks is the renaming of the months in the Asgardian calendar. For now, we have a new provisional (or tentative?) nomenclature that could have modifications before Parliament approves it, during the session in October. Overall, Parliament is setting up the foundation of a solid legislature made with the future in mind, for a nation that will be in space. We are reminded every day that we are working for future generations of humans that would have the option of living in space, together, in unity.

Hello Asgardians, if you’ve seen the updated Calendar, today is Saturday 28th of Leo and although it might be the weekend in Asgardia, for people using the Gregorian calendar, it’s the start of a new week and with it is our Parliamentary Update. It's been another busy week for Parliament this week where the focus has primarily been on preparing for the upcoming Parliamentary Sittings. Sittings are where some of Parliament's most important work is done, including voting on legislation. They are multi-day events that are held either digitally, or at a physical location. As a recent article stated recently, the upcoming Digital sitting is targeted to be the most fully digital session ever as we push ourselves to operate in the most cost-effective and inclusive way possible. Digital sittings normally require support from a group of technicians and translators all working together to deliver. This time, we're hoping that everything will be done remotely. It's a big step forward and we hope to show the world the viability of a strong digital democracy. Parliament has been working hard to define legislation for the Nation. This can come from a wide range of sources. Some of our legislation is looking to tackle immediate problems and other legislation is thinking about the future. Whatever it is, however, it needs to be worked on. There is a process that we'll be talking about in an upcoming article that outlines in more detail how Parliament works - two vital steps in that process are that: 1) A legislative proposal needs to gather enough support from Parliament to proceed, at least thirty members of Parliament must sign the proposal for it to progress. 2) The proposal must be constitutionally viable - so each proposal is reviewed by the Justice committee for inconsistencies. Getting the process right has taken time, trial and error and a lot of time, debate and thought go into these proposals - however - Parliamentary proposals are now working their way through the system and will start to appear on the agenda of Sittings. This is a big step forward as it means that Parliament will be able to empower people and businesses through the introduction of laws and systems. Typically, the physical meeting of Parliament happens once a year - and one such meeting is due to take place in October and so work has begun to resolve the logistics of holding such a meeting. In other news, Parliament has been continuing its outreach. AMPs have been liaising with a wide range of people from business leaders to Government officials. Parliament are devoted to Asgardia and we consider it a key responsibility to make as many connections as we can and to represent the nation well. One such example of this is the news from AMP Ariadne Gallardo who has been working closely with the Minister of Culture, Olimpia Niglio. Her news states that the Minister will be attending the "Congress of Mexico Towards the Moon" as a representative of Asgardia and speaker at the event which is due to take place between the 16th and 20th of July. Each day Asgardia is making more progress. If you want to help support the Nation, please consider contributing with the Citizenship Fee. This money goes directly towards the development of the Asgardia's goals. You can pay your Citizenship Fee by visiting: asgardia.space > click on your profile picture > Government services > Citizenship Fee. By paying the fee, you will also be verified as a Resident of Asgardia which will allow you to become more directly involved in the Space Nation, Such as providing suggestions for changes to the Constitution and Voting in referendum. This will allow you to directly help shape Asgardia. You will also get access to Government features and services as they are rolled out.

This year 2019, we witnessed the star event most awaited by the astronomical world. On July 2, and for almost three minutes, a total solar eclipse was observed in the central zone of Chile that darkened the skies of the southern hemisphere, generating a halo of mysteries and emotions to those who could observe it. For months, our Asgardia team in Chile planned and managed the requirements to attend this unique event, moving material and human resources from different places to the fourth region of Coquimbo, where the eclipse could be observed in its entirety. After an exhausting road trip crossing several regions, we arrived on Monday, July 1 to the city of Coquimbo, one of the most beautiful in the northern area of Chile, located in a roadstead called La Herradura, where we were welcomed by the family Tapia Iriarte, with whom we contacted through your company https://propiedadeslabahia.cl/. They gave us lodging and first class attention for the team and guests. Once installed, we were invited to visit typical places in the area and then to a restful dinner and rest, to start the trip early to meet this eclipse. At dawn on Tuesday, July 2, and together with the team and the guests, we travel to the sector of the El Tofo mine, which is on the way to Caleta Chungungo, about 60 kms. north of the city of Coquimbo. The place is called the "ground zero", since according to the information of friends astronomers and scientists, the shadow of the Sun projected by the Moon would be maximum in that place. The team and guests Asgardians agreed to the place, through dirt roads and semi-desert landscapes, between hills and mountains, to have the best image of this event. Along with families and teams of eclipse hunters from ten different countries, we share experiences on the previous total eclipse, which occurred in 2017, and which was observed in Oregon, United States. Not only the eclipse could be followed in its entirety, but also with the best of locations, achieving wonderful images of this unique event, and where graphic material was also delivered to the guests, courtesy of our Chilean mayor and graphic designer Greg Valdenegro , who came not only from Chile, but from countries as distant as Denmark, Germany or Japan. They had the opportunity to listen to a brief talk about Asgardia, the first space nation. After enjoying the eclipse, a meeting of camaraderie took place between the team and guests to celebrate the participation in a unique and mysterious event, and then embarked on the return to Coquimbo, chatting about the emotions and sensations of each one of us who had witnessed it, then sharing a dinner that ended this adventure. We want to thank Sergio, Cecilia and Sebastián for their spectacular attention and restful sleep in Coquimbo, Greg and Teresita Valdenegro for the designs and graphics that accompanied us in this adventure, and for Lorena for the successful coordination of this adventure. We hope that Asgardia will continue to be present in this type of world events, showing our willingness to contribute material and human resources in concrete actions to the development of culture and science, and we invite each of our followers and Asgardians to investigate and organize for this type of events, or similar ones. Thank you for this experience, in Dondeni people from all over the world forgot their differences and united to direct their gaze to heaven, like what we are. A Humanity A unit.

Parliament is deepening its level of commitment, transparency and communication with Asgardians. Opening communication channels in our webpage and consistently sharing Parliament news in social media was the first step. Soon we are going to be sharing in an article more details about the functioning of parliament. Also soon we will open a legislative door to improve the Constitution, and we want all residents to be able to participate. We already extended an invitation to all of you that support Asgardia and are able to vote, so you can send proposals for Constitutional amendments. In regards to this week's work, Chairman of parliament, Lembit Opik is busy preparing the agenda for the next official digital sitting at the end of July. As for the committee updates, they come today from the Manufacturing, Culture and Science Committees. Chair of Manufacturing Committee, Fernando Jiménez Motte is very pleased and confident with the future of Asgardia Space Nation in order to auto sustain and scale its operation to a 150 million network: Asgardia Institute of Standards (AIS) has reached the required 30 signatures in order to advance the legislative proposal. The AIS brand homologation will be required by the Global Industry in order to establish projects and contracts with Asgardia Aerospace operations. The AIS Institute will interconnect with all global institute of standards worldwide. Luca Sorriso Valvo, chair of the Science Committee, mentioned that the Committee is ready to circulate a document containing its recommendations on the Asgardia calendar, intended to support the work of the Culture Committee. He also shared that the Committee has set up a starting portfolio for education and outreach offer. This is a project that could generate a substantial reputation for Asgardia, set-up international contacts, and even provide some income. The portfolio will be ready to be circulated shortly and should be ready for the meeting with the Mexican Space Agency, in two weeks from now. We also need to form an inter-committee panel to evaluate future candidates. Finally, a very early draft of the law establishing the Asgardian Science Academy was presented to the Committee, a law that is a top priority of this Committee. As for the Culture Committee, Cheryl Gallagher shared that in a recently held committee meeting, dynamic and inspiring initiatives were introduced and some are beginning to germinate, supported by Dr Olimpia Niglio, Minister of Culture. A formal institution is under discussion to be established within Asgardia to define our culture, document and retain our historical Asgardian Space Heritage. Likewise, ambitious opportunities for public events in collaboration with universities, museums, space agencies and exhibitions are currently being offered and actively explored, as well as a future Asgardian Museum of Art and Design. Expect some interesting and exciting announcements to come from the Culture Committee as we move forward with our initiatives!”