According to Ronald D. Moore, the idea of the show came about during lunch with former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, when they discussed the possibility of an alternate history in which the Russians reached the moon before the Americans.
Gordo and Tracy Stevens are loosely based on Mercury 7 astronaut Gordo Cooper and his wife Trudy, who was a pilot.
The logotype and insignia of NASA are slightly different from the real ones. Respectively: the two A letters are closed on the red fonts, and the white orbit is reversed to right on the logo.
In December 2020, ahead of the second season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season.
The second season will be set in 1983, about 10 years after the first season and in the midst of the Cold War.