 Commentators commended the first half of "Space Race". The A.V. Club columnist Todd VanDerWerff approved of several aspects of the episode — mainly its animation, character development, and dialogue. In his A grade review, VanDerWerff felt that the producers were playful with the concepts of space. "Archer, of course, takes place in a weird blend of past and present," he professed, "but 'Space Race' goes out of its way to toss'future' into the middle of that mix as well. There are so many jokes that come just from the characters hanging out in anti-gravity, for God's sake, including a ping pong paddle strategically covering Pam's breasts." Commenting on the program's animation, The A.V. Club journalist thought that its emphasis on the convergence of various science fiction techniques resulted in aesthetically pleasing visuals. VanDerWerff stated, "Everything about this one gleams, and it makes for an Archer that will almost certainly look great in HD." Furthermore, he adulated the episode's dialogue, avouching that even the characters with very limited screen time were given opportunities to shine with humor. Although Marcos Canales of Screen Invasion opined that "Space Race: Part I" contained far too many one-liners and jokes, he praised the storyline and was keen to the character progression of Lana. "Usually, she ’ s the best agent ISIS has and can do pretty much anything," explained Canales, "so putting her in a situation where she was not a bad ass gave the character some added depth which is something most animated shows don ’ t prioritize." Cinema Blend's Jesse Carp — despite criticizing the show's "nonsensical" narrative — declared it to be hilarious.
