The company Planetary Resources plans to develop and launch a series of robotic systems and unmanned spacecraft, starting with its Arkyd-100 Earth-orbiting space telescopes that it hopes to launch by the end of 2013 to identify candidate near-Earth asteroids containing natural resources. A single 500-meter platinum-rich asteroid would have the equivalent of all the platinum-group metals ever mined on Earth, the company said. And the right 80-meter asteroid would have more than $100 billion worth of materials, Anderson said.

NASA and scientists warn of super solar storm that could take place in 2012. The affect of such a storm could paralyze industrialized countries around the world who rely on technology and satellites to run their day to day lives. Reputable scientist Michio Kaku warns that this storm could cost countless lives and set us back as a species 100 years if we fail to reinforce our technological infrastructure. Admittedly, through government, we lay vulnerable to a number of things, this is yet another one.

A team of Danish volunteers has built a rocket capable of carrying a human into space, and will be launching it in a week’s time. The project, which has been funded entirely by donations and sponsorship, is led by Kristian von Bengtson and Peter Madsen.