[3] The show portrays the sacrifices an international group of astronauts must make, as they prepare to be away from their families for three years on the first crewed spaceflight to Mars.

Jeni Mulein, who joined the production company as the new head of development in April 2018, was set to be credited as co-executive producer on the second through tenth episodes.

A notable example is a plot point in Vital Signs in which the astronauts listen intently for a sound boom picked up by a real-life Mars rover called InSight.

[9] On August 8, 2019, it was announced Talitha Bateman, Ato Essandoh, Mark Ivanir, Ray Panthaki and Vivian Wu would play lead roles in the series.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Away doesn't reach the stratosphere as a spacetime adventure, but emotional earnestness and a strong cast help make this a compelling enough journey to the stars.

"[16] Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of 3/5 and said, "The space scenes, while familiar, are energetic, fun, and often moving, while the Earthbound drama feels like we're being abruptly yanked back into normal gravity after getting to enjoy the wonders of floating among the stars.