The Ark in Space Salmon of "SFX" rated the serial four and a half out of five stars, calling it "brimming with confidence". Salmon wrote that the concept of the Wirrn were so terrifying that the poor effects did not matter. In an analysis of apocalyptic themes in "Doctor Who", academic Andrew Crome highlighted the explicit religious influences on the writing of "The Ark in Space". He considered the eponymous Ark to be an analogue of the Biblical story of Noah's Ark, the ancient flood myth related in the Book of Genesis, and that the naming of the Nerva Beacon commander as Noah was
The Ark in Space was treated as a single six-part story to save money; "The Ark in Space" was filmed entirely in-studio, while "The Sontaran Experiment" was filmed entirely on location. "The Ark in Space" is the first broadcast story from Hinchcliffe as producer. Hinchcliffe believed that in order to expand the show's core audience, it was necessary to broaden the show's appeal to adults, and "Ark in Space" demonstrates this with its use of horror, particularly the inexorable transformation of Noah into an alien creature. A scene in which the half-transformed Noah begs Vira to kill him was deemed too scary for children