The capture would be performed robotically, and the relocated asteroid would become a destination for astronauts to explore—and, possibly, for space entrepreneurs to mine.

The idea may sound more like science fiction than national policy, but it actually fits in with key goals of the Obama administration and the space community.

Those goals include learning how to identify asteroids heading toward us and to change their course, finding destinations where astronauts can go as they try to learn how to make the longer trip to Mars, and providing opportunities for space investors. (Related: Psychological Challenges of a Manned Mars Mission.)

"This mission represents an unprecedented technological feat that will lead to new scientific discoveries and technological capabilities and help protect our home