Seattle company planning out-of-this-world mining operation
Asteriod Mining
Planetary Resources Inc. president and chief engineer Chris Lewicki speaks behind a full-size prototype model of a low-orbit spacecraft at a news conference announcing a plan to mine nearby asteroids Tuesday, April 24, 2012, in Seattle. The mega-million dollar plan is to use commercially built robotic ships to squeeze rocket fuel and valuable minerals like platinum and gold out of the lifeless rocks that routinely whiz by Earth. One of the company founders predicts they could have their version of a space-based gas station up and running by 2020. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)