‘First nation-state in outer space' now accepting applications

Some people are threatening to leave the country if a certain candidate wins the presidency. While some are looking to nearby Canada, would you go so far as to become a citizen of outer space?

That may be an option, according to a group of scientists and legal experts. "Asgardia," aims to be "the first nation-state in space" once it gets 100,000 applications and can officially apply to the UN for the status of state.

Initially, the potential "no man's land" nation will be a single satellite scheduled to launch next year. If approved, the citizens will be physically on Earth while holding dual citizenship in space. So, don't make your travel plans yet.

But you can enter the contest to design Asgardia's national anthem, flag, and insignia! That may be more difficult than it sounds considering they haven't decided on an official language yet.

The private company behind the project hopes that Asgardia will open up a conversation about international space laws and plans to create "a state-of-the-art protective shield for all humankind from cosmic, manmade, and natural threats to life on earth."

OK, so protecting humankind might be a little down the road for Asgardia, But hey! Space merch!