By "spacefaring" I mean the ability to live in/utilize space (asteroid mines, fast travel like lightspeed, harnessing greater energy sources, terraforming planets, etc.)
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We can't travel at light speed if we've got any amount of mass. Photons have no mass whatsoever and they don't experience time the way we do. Now that that's been cleared up, yes I think we'll be spacefaring within 500 years. I hope it's something like Halo though with all the beautiful planets and the spectacular vehicles and weaponry and even the AIs like Cortana. Oh what I'd do for a trip to Beta Gabriel or Meridian...