If you look at the night sky, in the direction of what you call the Great Nebula in Orion, that's where the trading group is. Of course, they'd be on the other side of the nebula, as you see it from Earth. We call that nebula the Freel-Omar. Intelligent beings come in all colors and configurations, and most travel the star lanes with some degree of regularity. Whether tentacles, hands, cilia, paws, or other manipulatory appendages initiate the launch, it doesn't matter.
Curiosity fuels more space exploration than any type of propellant.
That truth has never been disputed. Knowledge pumped the economy of Metrowyl, and knowledge fueled its exploration branch, the Survey Service. Scout ships scoured the galaxy finding new colony sites, but mostly looking for new materials and information to trade. Some ships eased out slowly near the boundaries of charted space, increasing their spheres of knowledge cautiously. Others ventured fearlessly, risking long hops through uncharted space.