Realspace

"Sir, the Electrum has reverted to realspace."

- A technician, to Wilhuff Tarkin

Realspace, also called normal space, or simply space, was the dimension in which all of the galaxy's residents lived. The vast majority of space was a vacuum, a depressurized area devoid of atmosphere. The vacuum of space was fatal to many living organisms without the use of some sort of EVA suit and was unable to sustain fire. Because travel using sublight engines within realspace was slow, sentients found a technological way to access the shadow dimension known as hyperspace. A starship equipped with a hyperdrive would "jump" from realspace into hyperspace, and "revert" from hyperspace to realspace.

Species that could survive in the vacuum of space include exogorths and Cylo's cyborg Whale-ships. Neebrays could survive in nebulae, such as the Kaliida Nebula. As well as being able to survive in space, the purrgil were capable of traveling through hyperspace.

Many droids were able to operate in space. Astromech droids were exposed to the vacuum of space when conducting repairs outside the hull of a starship and when inserted into the astromech socket of a starfighter. KX-series security droids could also survive in the vacuum of space.

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi
 * LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales Episodes I-III