Deep Space Homer

"Deep Space Homer"
The Simpsons episode
Kent Brockman pledges his allegiance to ants which he mistakenly believes are about to conquer the world. This scene went on to inspire an internet meme.[1][2]
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 15
Directed by	Carlos Baeza
Written by	David Mirkin
Production code	1F13[3]
Original air date	February 24, 1994 (1994-02-24)
Guest appearances
Buzz Aldrin as himself James Taylor as himself
Episode features
Couch gag	The family runs to the couch, only to find an obese man sitting on it. They squeeze in to the left of him.[4]
Commentary	Matt Groening David Mirkin Mark Kirkland David Silverman
Episode chronology
← Previous "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" Next → "Homer Loves Flanders"
The Simpsons season 5
List of episodes

"Deep Space Homer" is the fifteenth episode^[5] of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons, which was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on February 24, 1994. In the episode, NASA selects Homer Simpson to participate in a spaceflight to spark public interest in space exploration and boost low ratings of the launches. Once in space, his incompetence destroys the navigation system on board the Space Shuttle.

The episode was written by showrunner David Mirkin and directed by Carlos Baeza. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and musician James Taylor guest-starred as themselves. Some of The Simpsons' staff, including creator Matt Groening, feared the concept was too unrealistic, resulting in some jokes being pared down and greater focus placed on relationships within the Simpson family. However, the episode was well-received, with many critics and fans praising it as one of the best of the series.