The bootstrapping needed to construct things of huge size (including colonization ships ;’) is itself something we may be able to do now. Best thing to do at first is to mine for gold and silver and such, in order to get the fiat money complainers aboard. :’) One machine built on the surface would be launched to an asteroid and process it into materials; a second machine built here would be launched to the same area and buiild the processed materials into more pairs of machines.
And a third machine would use the slag and tailings to extrude a mineral foam for use as both planetary shielding (from impacts and such) and the shells of other eventual space structures.
The only problem I see with humans living in space is, no water cooler discussions in the mornings.
Micrograv, so no water cooler.
No axis of rotation, so no morning.
Genesis 11:6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
I take that verse literally.