The 'territory' of the first space nation is about to fall

The Asgardia-1 satellite of the Asgardia space national project is gradually decreasing in altitude, possibly falling into the atmosphere and burning up around mid-September.

The design of the Asgardia-1 satellite. (Photo: Asgardia).

The first space nation of mankind, Asgardia, is in danger of losing the only piece of "territory" currently in space, the satellite Asgardia-1. Tracking data from the US Space Force and several other sources show that the satellite is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up around mid-September.

Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, a Russian scientist, proposed the creation of Asgardia, the first independent space nation, in October 2016. This country is named after a heavenly land in Norse mythology. Citizens can apply to join Asgardia for free. The mission of the project is to bring about a peaceful society, make it easier for everyone to access space technologies, and protect the Earth from space threats such as meteorites or man-made space junk. according to Ashurbeyli.

Asgardia space nation illustration.

Asgardia-1 plays a key role in the Asgardia space national project, which launched into space in 2017. In addition to representing the territory of Asgardia beyond Earth, this small satellite also carries technical replicas. Asgardia constitution numbers, flags and data on Asgardian "citizens" who have chosen to participate in this nation-building test. Asgardia-1 also has a scientific mission to study the impact of space radiation on digital data storage.

Updated information from the US Space Force's Space-Track database on July 20 shows that Asgardia-1's altitude is gradually decreasing, meaning the satellite is being pulled down into the atmosphere by Earth's gravity. The most recent update predicts it will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up on September 14. Satview, a website that tracks space junk, predicts Asgardia-1 will fall sooner, on September 11.

An Asgardia representative said it was "looking into" the matter and would not comment further. It is unclear how the loss of Asgardia-1 affects Asgardia's goal of becoming a recognized nation or its longer-term goal of having the first inhabitant born in space. To date, no country has recognized Asgardia's statehood. However, the organization is still active online and plans to vote for the position of "head of state" on September 9.