Is there a way to increase the distance that you can hack? I started a game on a large map with a many constellations. I had an amazing start on a constellation all to myself, and I was able to hack that entire constellation. But the next closest system was in constellation that was a fairly far away with no connecting hyperlanes. I wasn't able to connect any of my hacks to a different constellation. I couldn't establish a node on the new constellation because I couldn't hack to it in the first place :/

Is there a way to hack distant, non-hyperlane "free space" distances?

As far as i can tell the only way to reach a new constilation with hacking is to reasearch wormhole travel.

Yeah, the current interconstellation hack range is kind of limiting at times, but I don't know how far it could really be extended without being a cheap way to bypass nodes and possible threats.

One option is to get good with a minor faction in another constellation and assimilate them. You can then hack from that sanctuary.