The state of Asgardia has entered an exciting and yet critical stage of its development now that the first small satellite has been launched. Members of our parliament will have a lot of practical and business issues to attend to in the first months of its existence leading up to Asgardia’s application for official recognition as a nation state by the UN (United Nations). Over that same period members will be working closely with our Head of Nation I gor Ashurbeyli and other supporters to develop a sound and sustainable business model, which we intend to be based on a combination of crowdsourcing and investment in the incorporated company Asgardia AG. One early task will be to convince not just members but the wider investment community that we have a viable business strategy capable of supporting our ambitious programme of satellite launches over the coming years, as well as associated scientific research activities.

It is absolutely essential during this formative stage that Asgardia and its Members of Parliament do not lose site of the founding aspirations of our space nation, based on an ambitious constitution that aims to set new standards for governance and civic participation. As an MP I would ensure that the right balance is struck between day to day business and development of the grand project, which has both short and longer-term objectives.

In the more immediate future Asgardia will establish its domain in space and build partnerships with all agencies on the ground willing to participate in joint research and shared missions. The key point here is that Asgardia as an independent state in space will not be subject to the current Outer Space Treaty which requires governments to authorise and supervise all space activities, including those of non-governmental and non-profit organizations. By becoming a nation, itself, Asgardia will of course accept liability for any damage on earth resulting from its activities in space, just as any existing country has to now.

I also propose that Asgardia promote use of cryptocurrencies and the associated blockchain technology because this promises to allow people to work transparently across trust boundaries without relying on corruptible human bureaucracies to operate. Unlike humans, machines should always be trustworthy providing they are properly configured and backed up with clearly defined boundaries over their role within the decentralized blockchain structure.

As an MP I would recognize that our short term and long-term objectives are really inseparable. I would argue firstly that colonizing Mars, other planets of that matter our Moon should not be our main focus, which instead should be on building a colony in orbit, which would be our nation in space. That of course will require a lot of investment when we consider that the International Space Station cost $100 billion and $40 million for each flight to it. But this can be accomplished in stages as the enterprise builds momentum. That is why as an MP I would devote a lot of my time to promotion of the nation and its varied ambitions within my community. As a science writer I am qualified to discuss the issues in the media and also assist with content creation.

I would argue that scientific research should play a major role, both for its own sake and because it will propel the whole enterprise forward. Asgardia’s founders have already cited shielding the Earth from asteroids and coronal mass ejections as an early objective. I would argue such work should not be conducted in isolation but in collaboration with agencies on the ground already working on the problem. I would also propose that Asgardia does not look entirely out into space but should engage in projects with benefits on earth beyond asteroid protection, such as collaborating with agencies such as Nasa over space weather and integrating that better into global forecasting models. The idea here is that the flux of charged particles hitting the earth’s atmosphere as a result of solar activities and other factors can have a profound influence on our weather and yet is not factored into forecasts on the ground at present.

We should also keep an eye open on even longer-term goals for humanity as a whole. Some leading researchers and thinkers such as cosmologist Stephen Hawking have argued that within as little as a Millennium, humans will have to evacuate the planet Earth. Even if such warnings are unduly pessimistic there will come a time when such actions are necessary and it is unlikely there is anywhere in the solar system suitable for the necessary large-scale settlement. Therefore, Asgardia could in the ultra-long term be looking at establishing platforms for mass evacuation, which may sound far fetched at present but should perhaps become a long-term research priority in years to come.

Of most immediate concern is that Asgardia’s fine constitution be honoured by the early activities of its citizens, MPs and decision makers. There is a paradox here. While we all propose Asgardia as a vehicle for launching new ideas and building on the noble aspirations of its constitution it is vital that the enterprise remains grounded in fundamental principles and acknowledges the limitations as well as the massive potential of the human spirit. We are noble but mortal and fallible creatures who need encouraging to follow the path towards enlightenment rather than ignominy and all associated with the Asgardian enterprise must remain vigilant against abuses of power or privilege among our members.