An intriguing new industry is taking shape - Asteroid Mining. If you've seen the movie Avatar, you have already been introduced to the concept of mining in space. Such an idea would seem to be a mere figment of science fiction. Today, however, the concept is being treated with more respect by scientists and investors.

"It is a strategic interest of humanity to be able to go to space," says Eric Anderson, co-founder of Planetary Resources. Last April, the company announced their plans to mine near-earth asteroids (NEAs) for materials ranging from water to precious metals. A single, small asteroid could contain more platinum than has ever been mined in the history on Earth. As Dr. Peter Diamandis would say, scarcity is contextual.

In a sort of validation of Planetary Resources' venture, a new company is announcing today plans to create “the world’s first fleet of commercial asteroid-prospecting spacecraft”. Deep Space Industries, Inc live streamed their press release, where they showed this video:

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Earlier this week, Planetary Resources released this tech update:

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