Space mining has been an idea for a while, but in recent years the idea is becoming more and more a reality. Companies like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries are pioneering commercial space efforts. And with the research of NASA and the European Space Station also interested in landing on near-earth objects, space mining could be the next big thing.
In fact, the next big thing in space mining may have just passed. An asteroid called 2011 UW158 passed by Earth recently and studies showed that the mass contained an enormous amount of platinum. How much platinum you ask? Try between $300 billion to $5.4 trillion worth!