In her report back to Earth, Bowman (Carrie-Anne Moss) refers to the state of HAB as being "tango uniform". This is phonetic military slang for "tits up", meaning dead or destroyed.
Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore began feuding during production. According to reports, it all began when Kilmer got annoyed about a fancy exercise machine that Sizemore wanted shipped from England to the set in Australia. Eventually the two hated each other so much, Kilmer would not come out of his trailer if Sizemore was on the set. Many of their scenes together were filmed over the shoulders of photo doubles. Kilmer reportedly refused to say Sizemore's character's name, saying instead "Hey, you!"
Unlike many other science fiction films, the behavior of fire in zero gravity is depicted quite realistically.
Kate Bowman was named after Dave Bowman, one of the main characters from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Mars canyon scenes were filmed in Wadi Rum, Jordan, a desert valley several miles long.