🚀 go-pugleaf

What are the current estimates of folks in this newsgroup of how long it 
will be until the world starts to see privately funded space colonization?

I've noticed that there are some _extremely_ capital intensive schemes around
which might make the marginal cost of launching mass to orbit fairly cheap.
(I'm thinking of mechanisms like Clarke's space "elevator" or Bull's 
gun). I'm more interested in technologies like the Henson Sling or SSTO
technology that might be more useful to private citizens and less likely to
be shelved or monopolized by governments or mega-corps.


Thanks!