Actually some of the early Robert A. Heinlein stories such as "The Man who sold the Moon" have themes very similar to what is actually going on with this aster

Actually some of the early Robert A. Heinlein stories such as "The Man who sold the Moon" have themes very similar to what is actually going on with this asteroid mining company. It's been a while since I read them, but basically some rich guys with ideas for space think of various marketing schemes(smuggling in some stamps for collectors for the first trip out and so on) to finance their dream of mankind colonizing the space. As they say, baby steps, baby steps. Very entertaining read, with some plausible science behind it for the time.