In their conversation at the episode's start, Ogden and Murdoch discuss Jules Verne's 1865 novel "From the Earth to the Moon". The full name is "From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes" (in the original French: "De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes").
This episode takes place in 1903.