NASA is in the early stages of a new project that will create a new source of revenue: asteroid mining.
Two companies have already sign contracts with Planetary Resources and Deep Space with the intent of pursuing the project, according to the space agency.
The groups are figuring out ways to find a sustainable strategy of gathering resources in space.
Bringing resources from space to Earth can be costly however, going for anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000.
They are also looking for asteroids close to Earth that host minerals, metals, silicate minerals, ice and carbonaceous minerals.
They are keeping an eye toward the option of bringing the resources to Earth, according to NASA.
"Communicating about any future asteroid threat will not be easy," said Michael Simpson, SWF's Executive Director, according to Discovery.com. "People will need messages they can act on, and they will deserve to know the limitations on what modern science can predict."
Planetary Resources plans to use a number of mid-sized space telescopes in order to fund the asteroids with the best potential for a return. The company is also looking to build revenue from commercializing its Arkyd 200 or 300 and at some point, hopes to create a depot that will allow for mining operations.
Deep Space Industries is looking to use "FireFlies", a compact spacecraft, in missions that will gather the same information that Planetary Resources wants, through telescopes. Eventually, the company wants to use its "Dragonfly" spacecraft to capture asteroids.
Their "Harvestors" will be the spacecraft that helps bring resources back to Earth's orbit.
Platinum metals and water are the most profitable potential for operations of asteroid mining. NASA even has plans for extraction of water.
OSIRIS-Rex, a NASA spacecraft created to study the "Bennu" asteroid, which orbits close to earth, will make an attempt to land on an asteroid in 2016 to gather more information, according to NASA.
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