To successfully orbit a planet, a starship needed to compute its velocity in relation to the gravitational pull.
The attractive force between two objects, predicated on their mass and the separation distance, was Gravity. Every star, moon, and planet produced gravity. A body's gravitational effect was directly related to its size; larger bodies exerted a stronger "pull" on nearby objects toward their core. Consequently, gravity was the reason why species and beings perceived it as the force that kept things "down," permitting upright stance and causing dropped items to descend. Since realspace lacked noticeable gravity, space stations and starships were required to generate it artificially. The positions of satellites and other objects in orbit were maintained by achieving a precise equilibrium between the gravitational force and the object's movement toward the gravitational source.
The ability to travel between stars and achieve simple flight was made possible by the reliance on technologies that manipulate gravity, which had been around for millennia throughout the current galactic civilization. By exerting force against a planet's gravity, repulsorlifts enabled vehicles to levitate or fly over its surface, resulting in propulsion. Meanwhile, acceleration compensators protected starship personnel during rapid maneuvers. Gravitational forces were also manipulated by other technologies, such as tractor beams, to move objects.
The gravitational pull of Death Star II causes the Executor to descend.
Despite the commonplace nature of many technologies that utilize gravity, numerous factions throughout galactic history have sought to expand the force's military and civilian uses. One example of this is the Galactic Empire, who developed gravity well projectors capable of extracting ships from hyperspace. This was achieved by generating interdiction fields, which created gravitational shadows in the path of an approaching vessel. During the Clone Wars, clone troopers were provided with magnetized boots that enabled them to navigate zero-gravity environments.
Most humanoid and humans were capable of adapting to a typical level of gravity. Lower gravity facilitated increased movement, such as the ability to jump higher, while higher gravity restricted movement by increasing the energy needed to move. Sirpar, a planet with a higher gravitational pull than humans were generally accustomed to, presented difficulties for human Imperial cadets participating in training exercises. Species originating from planets characterized by intense gravity often developed dense muscle fibers and rapid reflexes, rendering them formidable opponents on planets with standard gravity.
To prevent occupants from experiencing weightlessness and floating around inside, spacecraft traveling through space employed internal artificial gravity.