A copy of this episode exists on the International Space Station for real astronauts to watch.
Matt Groening named Homer's face changes into Popeye and Richard Nixon while exposed to G-force as one of his least favourite gags from the show.
While the NASA staff are examining the most popular characters on television, they watch a short segment spoofing the show Home Improvement (1991). In the segment, Tim "The Toolman" Taylor supercharges a riding mower, then accidentally reverses it through his backyard fence, running over his neighbor, Wilson. He then says: "Oh, no! I killed Wilson! Looks like it's back to jail for me." In real life, Tim Allen, who played Tim Taylor in Home Improvement (1991), actually spent time in prison before his rise to fame.
Some of the writers were concerned about Buzz Aldrin's line, "second comes right after first", feeling it was insulting to Aldrin. An alternative line was written: "first to take a soil sample", but Aldrin had no problem with saying the original line.
There was some controversy amongst the show's writing staff during production as some felt that having Homer go into space was too large an idea. Matt Groening felt that the idea was so big that it gave the writers "nowhere to go". Several silly gags were therefore toned down to make the episode feel more realistic, including an idea that everyone at NASA was as stupid as Homer. The writers focused more upon the relationship between Homer and his family and Homer's attempts to be a hero.