Deep Space Industries plans to send tiny robotic ships to explore and eventually mine asteroids, and they expect to launch the first ones by 2015.

While they’ll have no room for crew, much less a licensed companion, the tiny craft have been designated “FireFly” probes. Habitable colonies form part of the long-range plan.

In other space news, a petition encourages the use of Space Race technology that was previously considered, but not used, to go to Mars.

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