Media outlets from around the globe reported on Asgardia and its plans for the future that were revealed at the press conference in Hong Kong on 13 June 2017.
CNN writes that “(g)oing forward, the Asgardia team hopes to create habitable platforms in low-earth orbits -- the first 100 to 200 miles (161 to 321 kilometers) from space, which is also where the ISS is located. The first human flight to this location is projected to take place in eight years' time.”
At the second Asgardian press conference, seven months after Asgardia was founded, it was announced that things are moving along quickly.
On November 12, 2016, the one-month anniversary of Asgardia, Igor Ashurbeyli held a press conference on the key issues that concern the first-ever space nation. Ashurbeyli touched upon vital issues in the further development of Asgardia and addressed many of the questions that have arisen in the last few weeks. The press-conference was aimed at both the over half a million registered Asgardians and those who have expressed interest in the nation.
Igor Ashurbeyli (İqor Rauf oğlu Aşurbəyli) - Ashurbekov or Asurbeyov – noble Azeri ancestral family name; born September 9, 1963) is an Azerbaijani-born Russian scientist, businessman, and philanthropist. In 1988 he became the founder and first general manager (GM) of Socium. Socium was originally a small software and consulting company and is now a large holding company with over 10,000 employees worldwide. Socium’s slogan is “Per Socium Ad Astra,” which emphasizes the need for community and cooperation in humankind’s path towards the stars and exploration of space. Active in business and science, Ashurbeyli is not affiliated with any political organization or movements. Rather, Ashurbeyli prefers to participate in expert communities of scientists, professionals and entrepreneurs.
In 2010, he was awarded the State Science & Technology Prize for his achievements in the development and use of a new generation of micro-technology communications systems and controls for mobile air defense systems and critical facilities. The State Science & Technology Prize is the highest honor a Russian scientist can achieve. In 2016, he was awarded Gold UNESCO Medal "For contribution to the development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies”
Education: DSc in Engineering, PhD in Engineering with specialization in Computer Science.
This monograph provides general characteristics of weapons and military equipment as objects of systemic study, as well as discusses military, scientific, and technological challenges to be solved within the various life cycle stages of such equipment. It outlines the basics of quality control, efficiency theory and operations research; the basics of decision-making theory, as well as optimisation goals with a comparison of alternatives for scalar and vector quality indicators; the methods of expert estimation of chosen objects. Various aspects of systemic research, conducted during the conceptualisation and development of weapons and military equipment, are described; statistical methods of processing and analysis of experimental data, including variance, regression and factor analysis methods as well as methods for research trials, are described. The system of equipment testing is described, and contents of research trials are provided. Considerable attention is paid to methods of experimental research.
This book chronicles the development of Russia’s air and space defence technology, as well as how defence systems and arsenals are tested.
The main development issues of Russian air and space defence technology and digital components base are discussed.
These include:
Various technology (listed in detail) essential for the development of active phased array radar (APAR)
Steps needed to take for the development of a digital components base needed to build APARs
Socium was founded by Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli in 1988. At the time, he was a young scientist, and Socium was just a small software company – yet it was also one of the first companies of its type, borne out of the Soviet Union’s new economic policies. Founding it was a risk and an adventure.
Today, Socium Holding has over 10,000 employees at over 30 companies.
Socium’s main goal is the development of a self-sufficient economic, organisational, and social infrastructure, which would provide – through large-scale use of advanced engineering and information technology, attentive personnel policies, and a positive corporate culture – an exceptionally creative and economically thriving environment for all Socium members, its partners, directors, managers, staff, and clients.
Socium’s slogan, Per Socium Ad Astra, is meant to emphasize the need for community and cooperation amongst people in their post ambitious endeavours.
Socium member companies include such well-known enterprises as the Maloyaroslavetsky Instrument Factory, FazAR LLC, Krasnoye Znamya Research & Production Centre, Elpa Research Institute OJSC and over 30 other companies operating in many diverse sectors within the fields of science, technology and the social sphere.
Founded in 1957, the Plandin Arzamas Instrument Plant JSC is one of the leading Russian industrial enterprises. The plant is the largest company of its kind in Socium. Its main product line today is that of precision measuring equipment and tools – for civilian use, as well as for the space, aviation, and defence sectors.
For over half a century now, the plant has accumulated vast experience in the design and manufacture of a diverse spectrum of precision gas meters used everywhere from major gas pipelines to private households, real-time water meters and real-time oil concentration meters, as well as gyroscopes, medical equipment such as precision dentistry devices, control systems, on-board computing machinery, electric components for radar systems, and so much more.
The plant is also investing into the future and helping raise a next generation of high-qualified specialists. It is responsible for the establishment of the Department of Innovative Industrial Technologies at the Arzamas Polytechnic Institute (itself a branch of Novosibirsk State Technical University).
The Elpa Research Institute OJSC is one of the oldest Russian companies involved in developing and manufacturing piezo ceramic materials, piezo ceramic, elements, piezo technical products and acousto-electronics devices for electronic equipment and systems designed for both civilian and military use.
About 200 people work at Elpa today, including 15 PhDs and more than 90 highly qualified specialists.
Since 2007, Elpa banks its future on the technical re-equipment of production. It has developed a unique software package for designing CAD surfactant structures of various devices and analyzing their characteristics, for use in radio frequency devices.
Elpa delivers products to 173 enterprises all over the world, including Belarus, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, China, Israel, and the United States.
Over the past 3 years, the company has tripled the sales volume of its products. This was possible thanks to constant innovation and inflow of young specialists.