Science Fiction

What if we assume that space flight ends up being primarily driven by private enterprise (Sir Richard Branson, that Bigelow fellow) rather than governmental agencies? Given the current trajectory, I think that's not a poor assumption to make.

How would that change the projected demographics of space? Would it at all? I'm assuming (for example) it would be possible for any private industrialist to get the VC they need to get at least the design & engineering off the ground. There's the Ansari X prize, too.

(In the future space colony universe I'm building, I started with this assumption; also that capitalists looking for resources to exploit in space (asteroid mining, say) would sign on for a joint venture.)