A Russian industrialist's proposed 'space nation' is dealing with early growing pains that may keep the concept from getting off the ground.
When Igor Ashurbeyli announced the formation of 'Asgardia' last year, the idea was met with skepticism from legal experts and scholars, but also generated tremendous enthusiasm from the general public.
A whopping 300,000 people from around the world signed up to take part in the effort, however their idyllic feelings appear to be faltering as the 'space nation' begins to take shape.
At the center of the conflict is a proposed constitution, which was unveiled earlier this summer and has spawned vociferous debate within the online community of would-be Asgardians.
Among the issues which have proven to be contentious for these aspiring space settlers are whether or not there would be taxes in Asgardia as well as what currency and language would be used by the burgeoning nation.
Some are also worried about Ashurbeyli being named king of the space nation, although the founder says that he only intends to serve a five-year term and that the country would be a constitutional monarchy akin to England.
A myriad of other arguments have erupted over various aspects surrounding the document, leading to a six-week debate that culminated with a vote of ratification where only 110,000 of the participants accepted the constitution and were, thus, awarded Asgardian citizenship.
It would seem that the other 200,000 or so people who were hoping to join in on the nation building have decided to opt out after seeing the logistical nightmare that such a concept created.
For those who remain committed to the cause, the constitution is just the start of many more challenges facing Asgardia, including receiving recognition from the UN and, of course, the whole problem of actually getting into space.
Source: The Wall Street Journal