I see a 1000 ft mountain called 2001 YB5 is going to pass within two lunar distances 1/7 http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db?name=2001+YB5 With enough lead time, what would it take to send, say, a two-man crew to a similar NEA with low delta-V and minimal inclination technologywise? I'm thinking if a two-man Soyuz capsule can be "hired" as a GTO taxi to the ISS for $20m by a third passenger, then maybe a manned jaunt to a nearby (VERY nearby like YB5) NEA might be in the area of $500m-$750m or thereabouts including ELV costs, supplies, fuel, propulsion modules, power plant etc.

I realize it won't happen, but it's nice to pretend and do the numbers for a realistic scenario using current ELVs and other off-the-shelf technology. For example, for a short three-month round trip, forget CELSS or anything else experimental and expensive. How many crew should go and how much water and food would they need? What would be best for propulsion there and back? Are solar cells the only option for power generation? What could be launched and softlanded ahead of time to reduce departure mass? And so on.

I don't care how low-tech and unoriginal proposals and ideas are, as long as they're CHEAP and the hardware etc is available NOW.