The series is loosely based on Tom Wolfe's 1979 book The Right Stuff and its 1983 film adaptation, and is the third installment in the titular franchise.

National Geographic partnered with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions and Warner Horizon Television in 2017 to option the screen rights to the novel, with DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson set to executive produce.

The show was originally envisioned to continue in future seasons up through the moon landing, but was canceled after just one eight-episode season.

Patrick J. Adams was cast in the lead role of John Glenn in May 2019, followed shortly after by Jake McDorman and Colin O'Donoghue as Alan Shepard and Gordon Cooper.

Danny Strong was cast as NASA spokesman John A. 'Shorty' Powers, and Mamie Gummer joined as 'Mercury 13' astronaut hopeful Jerrie Cobb.

In November 2020, the production was granted a tax credit to film a second season in San Diego, even though the show had not yet been officially renewed at that point.

Disney+ canceled the series in April 2021 due to a redesign of the National Geographic channel's programming focus, prompting financier Warner Bros. Television to shop it to other networks like TNT and HBO Max.

The series was later removed entirely from Disney+ in May 2023 as part of the platform's content purge.

A Dispatch review criticized the show for leaving out Chuck Yeager, arguing his absence embodied the production's failure to understand the concept of 'the right stuff.'