I saw this and felt the need to share with the group here.

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/04/asteroid-takeout---a-one-billionaire-mission-to-bring-a-500-ton-asteroid-to-high-earth-orbit-by-2025.ars

No good can come from this..

Agreed. Do you trust a government agency to get this right?

I can see it now in the newspaper.....'All life destroyed when 500 ton asteroid hits Earth'.

I can see it now in the newspaper.....'All life destroyed when 500 ton asteroid hits Earth'.

and...' FEMA slow to respond. Congressional hearings not expected.'

 

and of course the job goes to the lowest bidder...

Followup on this story:

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/04/good-morning-everyone-im-chris-lewicki-and-im-an-asteroid-miner---planetary-resources-announces-aste.ars

It'll be interesting to see how this develops.  Corporations in space... the stuff of sci-fi, one step closer to reality?