According to our current understanding of the universe, objects with mass cannot travel through space faster than the speed of light (c) in a vacuum. This is a fundamental principle of special relativity. However, the expansion of the universe is not restricted by this limitation.
When we say that the universe is expanding, we mean that the distances between galaxies, galaxy clusters, and other large-scale structures are increasing over time. This expansion is a property of the space itself, not the objects within it. It is important to note that the expansion of the universe does not involve objects moving through space but rather the stretching of space itself.
The expansion of the universe does not violate the principle that objects with mass cannot travel faster than the speed of light. This is because the expansion is happening at the cosmological level, involving the overall structure of space, rather than individual objects within it. The expansion is driven by a property of space called dark energy, which causes the fabric of space itself to stretch.
It is also worth noting that the expansion of the universe does not affect objects on smaller scales, such as within galaxies or even galaxy clusters. On these smaller scales, the gravitational forces between objects dominate, and they can move relative to each other at speeds below the speed of light. It is only on the largest cosmological scales that the expansion of space becomes significant.
So, while the universe may be expanding at a rate that exceeds the speed of light, this expansion does not contradict the principle that objects with mass cannot travel faster than light. The expansion is a property of space itself and does not impose any limitations on the motion of objects within space, as long as they are not attempting to move through space faster than the speed of light.