Lest you think this is science fiction and that no one would ever fund this from a business standpoint, consider the Class M asteroid pictured below.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

One asteroid, the 300-m Apophis, will pass relatively close to Earth a number of times in the coming decades, including in 2029.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

The Deep Space 1 spacecraft is scheduled at 12:46 a.m. to come within 15 kilometers (10 miles) of an asteroid called Braille.

CNN: Spacecraft set for risky asteroid flyby