The new “Go West, Young Man:” Go Up!

Quick, before the environmentalists figure out how to stop it:

Tired of that mundane desk job? Want a more exciting internship experience than ferrying around coffee at a downtown law firm? Then we may have just the thing: Out-of-this-world asteroid-mining startup Planetary Resources is seeking college juniors and seniors eager to blast off into a twenty-second century career (on a temporary, six-month basis).

Planetary Resources is a bizarre new future-tech startup launched by famed Titanic director James Cameron and Google co-founder Larry Page. The organization believes there are billions of dollars to be made harvesting the raw materials found in near-Earth asteroids.

The best part: no permit process. Nobody’s got jurisdiction!

Oh, I suppose there’ll be permits for the launching and landing. Some such thing. But surely that can be done from existing facilities, right? No need to displace those poor endangered inch-long lizards that couldn’t possibly live in some other arid place with scrub brush!

It’s a chance to get in on the ground floor, too. I wonder if there might be a place for me in this thing?

If you — or someone you know — is interested in a career in the stars, then it’s time to hit the books. You’ll need a GPA of 3.2 in your current studies in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or computer systems engineering; engineering physics; engineering mechanics; or computer science. Whomever is chosen will need to be available for official asteroid-type work January through August 2013.

The GPA – that’s on a scale of 10, right?