http://www.planetaryresources.com/missionPlanetary Resources inc is a company that plans to substract resources from near-earth asteroids. There are about 9000 known asteroids close by that are full of useful resources. They calculated that a 500 by 500 meter stone contains more platinum than we ever have excavated so far from the earth. Since asteroids do not have molten cores the interesting materials didn't sink down like on Earth or the moon.
First, a space telescope needs to be build. It will be used to pick out the most interesting asteroids containing resources through spectroscopy. It is a commercial company, so they create the cheapest of the cheapest telescope that does the job. Then they send mining probes that will go to the asteroid and mine it, sending raw or processed resources back to Earth.
Asteroids also contain water, which can be used to convert into fuel (put electricity on it, and ignite the hydrogen. There you go!). Since asteroids do not have a lot of gravity, only a little bit of fuel is needed to launch off to the next site.
This feels like the next step, finally, now with NASA put on low gas by their government. Commercial companies also tend to realise plans a bit faster than NASA, since earning money ASAP is their goal, not scientific progress. It will bring a lot of resources to Earth or around Earth that were previously scarce, boosting all other industries, making many products cheaper in the long run.
5 years to build a telescope, 5 years to set up the rest of the mining operation, times three for well-known reasons, 30 years until it all runs well and nicely. I hope to live this day.
