Asgardia: Neo-Westphalians in Terra Nullius

The Space Kingdom of Asgardia has been gaining high-level attention for its lofty goals of space colonization and its recent announcement of plans to launch a Low Earth orbit satellite this summer. In addition, this week also marks the vote on the potential adoption of its first constitution.

Regardless of however worthy the set of values celebrated in their constitution, Asgardia’s concept of creating a sovereign nation with membership in the UN only serves to import the outdated, inherently violent and nationalistic Westphalian order of states to Low Earth orbit and the Moon. Asgardia’s use of terminology such as “kingdom” in its name and its designation of a flag, a coat of arms, and a national anthem ought to seem somewhat silly to even the most ardent of nationalists; but let’s not pretend that those who embrace the unity of humanity can make use of the rituals of nationalistic cults for their own ends.

Beyond that point, this extension of the construct of the modern state outside the scope of its historical use is fundamentally unimaginative and counterproductive to the actual flourishing of human freedom and innovation: if we can’t break out of traditional models of human governance in the final frontier, then where will we find the courage to act? Perhaps on the oceans? Unfortunately, Article 5 of Asgardia’s constitution provides for the acquisition of territory on the sea, as well as in space and on the Moon. More than ever, we need to open-source space before the statists claim it as their divine right.