Rockets and rocks: Australia's mining tech finds its way to space

SYDNEY -- A few years ago, Boeing approached scientists from CSIRO, Australia's national science body, about adapting their advanced sensor technology for the International Space Station (ISS).

To convey what they had in mind, the team from the U.S. aerospace giant turned to science fiction. Specifically, they referred to a scene in Ridley Scott's 2012 film "Prometheus" in which spacefarers exploring an alien planet launch autonomous flying spheres to map a cavernous underground maze.