User blog comment:Markurion/Extended Cut or Prolonged torture?/@comment-3538356-20120408032009/@comment-1221773-20120408175537

Per Patrick Weekes, interstellar travel without the mass relays was always possible. The relays just meant that the galaxy took the lazy route and never developed more advanced FTL. With them gone, FTL technology will be improved and interstellar travel will resume.