I'm an Engineer working in Aerospace for nearly 15 years now. I have been involved in many engineering projects over the years, but nothing as ambitious as building a Space Station. What goes into it? How much does it cost? Where do we get funding for this project? Many unanswered questions yet to be answered by the leadership. 

It took nearly 15 years and many other years of Research and Development to build, launch and construct the International Space Station that at most can host 7 people. Asgadia was first proposed to house 100,000 - 500,000 people. 

What we really need to think about in my opinion:

1. Project personnel - this would include Project Managers, Project Engineers, Engineers and technicians etc. etc. (how many do we need?)

2. Systems - life support, water, food, waste, decontamination, radiation shielding, energy systems, communications, thrusters etc. etc. 

3. Who is going to build it? Will we build it here on earth to be launched into space? Will we begin construction of a moon base to use some natural resources from moon? 

4. Protection - From Space Weather, space rocks - dust etc. radiation, space aliens etc. 

5. I can volunteer some of my free time to help design some systems for the Space Station, but we need instruction from our leadership on what needs to be done.

Those are just a few of my thoughts on this subject. However, I want to know where the funding for this ambitious project is going to come from? 

Thank you,

David Shahal

Engineering is 10% Work, 90% Documentation

We should try to identify all the Engineers and Technicians on this forum and throughout the citizenry of Asgardia. So we can get together to come up with new ideas.

Hi, I am an engineering student. Currently doing a masters in mechanical engineering with a minor in Space technology. It would be really awesome if someone could set up a group of engineers who would like to work on such a project as @Davedgreat2000 suggested.

Hi, I am an engineering student of mechatronic engineering. I hope that I also can join this group to contribute something.

I don't mind creating an Engineering steering group that discus's the engineering needed to go into the creation of a Space Station or the assets needed for this type of program. However, we need the founder to specify what exactly they are looking for? 

I feel the important things are: (just to name a few)

1. Life Support

2. Radiation Shielding & Protective armor (used against micro meteors, space dust etc.)

3. Food/Water production

4. habitat facilities - includes living quarters, work modules, scientific research facilities, entertainment, etc.etc.

5. materials needed (as in the types of materials that we will use to construct this station)

6. Waste Management

Hello!

I'd like to encourage this discussion as you can't start to early! It may evolve over time as technologies are discovered, approved, found wanting, unapproved and others found.

Please Asgardia, let's starting talking about it!

Kind regards,
Rebekah Berg
Head of Community Affairs
NGO Asgardia

What we need, is for the Founder to come out and say what exactly we are looking into doing. Appoint a Chief Engineer and set up teams to figure out how we are going to do this. I'm thinking its not going to be done by one Engineering Firm like Boeing or Airbus or the Russian Space agency or NASA, but by a lot of different small and large firms combined to build the station. 

I've been an engineer for 15 years now and still learning all I can about my profession. I love major challenges like this. 

Once they get Grants/scholarships underway, we can apply for some funding to get some research started, either as a group or individuals, maybe some companies will also apply.

What we shouldn't do is reinvent the wheel here. We will have to use proven technologies like Rockets (SpaceX, NASA, Russian etc) to get us into space, but we can research bigger engines or new fuels for those rockets we have.

hi @davidgreat1200 I agree 100% with the thoughts you have expressed. In my contact with asgardai I have found there are a lot of professional people who have signed up for asgardia. This is a little unusual for a movement/project like this however it is a great bonus.  While we are waiting on asgardia to get the grants etc stuff all working lets get everyone together that we can for this project. A lot of people are already doing this in various other areas of the community and making connections across the board via email etc. This helps build the community and email and skype etc are sometimes a better arena for detailed discussion than cluttering up the forums. 

I'm happy for anyone to contact me on my public address p_bellamy@hotmail.com. Look forward to catching up.

I really want this to work out, I want for all Engineers to be able to work on this if they want to. I think setting up a working group is a great idea. 

I'm thinking that the founder may have an Engineering Firm in place to design the Space Station itself, but We have not heard from him in regards to this matter. It would be interesting to know if that is the case. 

My personal email is davedgreat2000@yahoo.com just put in the subject line "Asgardia Engineering" so I know its from someone from Asgardia.

I think this is a graet idea but before design a space station we must creat and form our goverment, our society our laws and all other things that can make the nation of Asgardia for real.

I belive to build a space station like this is to build a city from 0, and we must put inside this "city - space station" all the asgardians, and visitors, etc in a structure that containt a sustanbility life. How many people?

What kind of service? Is one station that containt all the nation? 

I am and urban planner (architect) and i like others want to participate on this great proyect!!!

I believe that the very first article I read on the subject of Asgardia was about a Space Station for either 100,000 to 500,000 citizens. I personally do not believe that it will be built in my life time. However, I also feel that the founder will be fronting much of his own money to get this started as he has already done. 

I do not think that the initial design of the Space Station will be done by anyone in the group "Asgardian Citizens", but it will be done by an outside Aerospace Firm or a Firm that the Founder creates himself. That will leave the rest of us to worry about the Constitution, and whether or not McDonalds and Legalized Pot will be allowed on the Station or not. 

What is left for us true Engineers to do? Design subsystems that will go into the Space Program of Asgardia or any other Nation with a Space Program. I truly believe that this will open up Space to everyone with an interest in Space. Not just multi-trillion dollar Nations like the US, Russia and China. 

but we must all do our part to make sure that our voices are heard. 

I'm not really interested in the Constitution or minor details. I want to know how this Station is going to be built and by whom? I want to be able to get involved in the design of the station and eventual construction of it.

I belive is must design and biult by asgardians for.the asgardian people

And i considers that the space station, moon base or space arc, must be a priority for the nation of Asgardia. Is must be a initiative of the head of the nation by creating a team to establish the guide and route to reach this mayor goal!. Asgardia is a space nation.

I belive @davegreat2000 that with the effort of the asgardians under a resposabiity coordination to develop this mega proyect. But as you says it must come from.the head of the nation and i offer my help and knowledge to develop the proyect.

I really dont believe that the people will get the chance to develope and build the Space station. Not everyone has the technical background or Engineering background to do so. That is why I believe the Founder has either choosen or will choose an Aerospace firm to design and eventually construct the Space Station Asgardia. Maybe the founder created his own firm to do the work. 

I do believe that the citizens of Asgardia will be able tk design and build sub systems for the Space Station that will help all Asgardians and people of Earth. 

@Davedgreat2000
That will leave the rest of us to worry about the Constitution, and whether or not McDonalds and Legalized Pot will be allowed on the Station or not.

Don't call me cynical, but I think this is particularly fitting, for Asgardia, at least at the moment, but I suspect for the future also. ;-)
My best guess is that, if they knew what it needs to really go into space (with a population, not with a milk box), they already told us, maybe with fanfare too, like they usually do everytime they paint their nails with a new color.

Hard Numbers

The ISS weighs approximately 925,000 lbs.
It supports 3 people with help from the Earth.
It costs $10,000 per pound to put something into space.

We have, let's say, 120,000 people to put into space.
That is the equivalent to 40,000 ISS, or 37 billion pounds.
At a rate of $10,000 per pound to put into space, that's 370 trillion US dollars.

For comparison, the entire economic output of the entire United States in 2015 was almost 18 trillion US dollars.
So, if every US citizen worked with every ounce of their being and did nothing but produce for Asgardia, it would take over 20 years to build it and only house 120,000 people.

FOV