It may not yet be practical but eventually its bound to happen this way. It might take another century for this to be practically viable. But surely and steadily the future is going to be this way. It would be an option for strong hearted to adopt this tachnology. Its bound to give many advantages to the takers that only few would deny it. Espically the medically challenged and older people, and to the military and science explorers. The whole scenario might change regarding our thought about human beings and lifeforms.

Just think about it, if this is possible now with the human beings, then what kind of robotics or other substitutes will be invented in near future. An alien race more advanced than our planet might being using much advanced things-materials yet to be invented by our scientists. So the future is full of speculation. Anything is possible, which the last century has proved enough. There have been mind bogling inventions till date and yet many undeclared that a few years ago were seemingly impossible to even imagine.

So yes, human race is bound to spread into the universe in very near future and it would be just matter of time when it comes accross other lifeforms and habitated planets. Whether those lifeforms are intelligent enough or not, has to be seen. But the assumption of many that we are being visited and watched by others is highly sceptical.