astra firma

Earlier this month, Earth’s first space-faring micronation launched its first nano-satellite into orbit. The Kingdom of Asgardia—clearly a nod to the city in the sky of Norse cosmology, may have humble beginnings with a precarious satellite no bigger than a breadbox but it has ambition and organisation to match and hope to soon expand into manned space station and orbital dock for further exploration.
As with most micronations there’s a slightly off-putting air with the want to relieve oneself of burdensome regulations and taxes and secrecy surrounding the privy council (more mundane examples here, here, here, here, and here) but I think anything that smacks as problematic is neutralised by the fact that it’s passing overhead every hour and a half and its provisional charter: (1) to ensure the peaceful use of Space (2) to protect the planet from space-based threats (coronal mass ejections, space junk and asteroids) and (3) and to provide unfettered and direct scientific knowledge and access to space to all. Find out more about the project at the link above and at Asgardia’s home page.