Hyperspace Hyperspace was an alternate dimension that could only be reached by traveling at or faster than the speed of light . Hyperdrive s enabled starship s to travel through hyperspace lanes across great distances , enabling travel and exploration throughout the galaxy . Hyperspace usage . Hyperdrive s manipulated hypermatter particles in order to thrust a starship into hyperspace by taking advantage of the wrinkles in the fabric of realspace , whilst still preserving the ship ' s mass / energy profile . This shortened journeying distance significantly , allowing the vessel to " jump " from a specific point to another without having to travel directly between them , therefore reducing journey time by an extraordinarily large margin . However , large objects in realspace cast " mass shadows " in hyperspace , so hyperspace jumps necessitated very precise calculations . Without those , a vessel could fly right through a star or another celestial body . Because of the danger , there existed predetermined hyperspace route s which interstellar travelers could take . The discovery of a new , safe hyperspace route could play a pivotal role in war , as it would allow naval forces to move faster unbeknownst to their adversaries . A vessel ' s ability to travel through hyperspace depended on its being equipped with a hyperdrive engine . Quick jumps into hyperspace could be unsettling to even experienced pilot s , but those with the proper stamina and training could overcome this . The Galactic Empire employed Interdictor vessel s to disable hyperspace capabilities in other vessels , both to pull them from hyperspace and to prevent them from making the jump to it . Upon entering hyperspace , a ship would emit Cronau radiation , which made their jump detectable by specialized sensors . It was technically possible for a vessel , such as a shuttle , to disembark from another vessel while in hyperspace , but the procedure carried extreme risk . Such a move would tear the disembarking vessel violently out of hyperspace . Safely entering hyperspace from a standing start while docked or exiting hyperspace directly into the atmosphere of a planet were both feats that were generally considered impossible , even for an experienced pilot . Despite this , Han Solo managed to accomplish both with the " Millennium Falcon " after being drawn into the First Order - Resistance conflict . In fact , starships had safety protocols that prevented hyperdrive engines from firing within the gravitational pull of a planet . Although it was possible to turn those protocols off , such a move was highly dangerous , and any a ship doing so had a high chance of blowing up or falling apart in hyperspace . Successful jumps near a planet were possible , though : during the Clone Wars , a cruiser carrying an injured Anakin Skywalker had its hyperdrive accidentally triggered while still in a planet ' s atmosphere due to damage from droid fighters , and despite the proximity to the planet the ship successfully jumped to hyperspace without being destroyed . Jyn Erso and her company managed to jump into hyperspace from inside the atmosphere of Jedha after the Death Star destroyed the moon ' s Holy city . Hera Syndulla while fleeing Lothal in a U - wing , jumped to hyperspace right in front of an Imperial construction module and flew through the hangar , successfully getting out the other side and making the jump . Desperate to save the remaining Resistance escape ships , Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo engaged the hyperdrive of the Resistance cruiser , " Raddus " directly into the path of the First Order " Mega " - class Star Dreadnought , the " Supremacy " , heavily damaging it and effectively vaporizing all traces of her ship . History . The ability to travel through hyperspace occurred in nature . The space - based species known as the purrgil could naturally travel through hyperspace . At some point in the ancient past of the galaxy , an ancestral species unlocked the secrets of traveling through hyperspace and opened the galaxy up to exploration . Hyperspace travel was mastered as early as four millennia before the Cold war , as demonstrated by the existence of hyperspace sextant s from that era . In the early days of the Galactic Republic , hyperspace travel between the Greater Seswenna and the Core Worlds required astrogating by hyperwave beacon s , with numerous reversions to realspace necessary to ensure safe passage . At the time of the First Order – Resistance conflict , the First Order discovered sub - hyperspace , which they utilized with their superweapon , Starkiller Base . The firing of Starkiller Base during the Hosnian Cataclysm in 34 ABY released enough energy to create a temporary rip in sub - hyperspace . This allowed the disaster to become visible from across the galaxy instantaneously , for a short time .