As a Linux enthusiast, it looked to me like JAXA was using either that or some other Unix platform based on that array of displays during Mutta's conversation with Hibito.
I especially liked the background music during the opening of this episode. I don't know if we've heard it before, but it made me realize how excellent the scoring for this show has been throughout. It's never intrusive but always appropriate, highlighting the events on screen. I don't watch much network television in America any more, but I would say that, on average, the scores composed for anime are better than anything I can remember over here. There are the occasional exceptions like
Danny Elfman, but he generally only writes theme songs for television shows rather than the scores themselves. This is the only score I've heard by the composer for
Uchuu Kyoudai,
Watanabe Toshiyuki, but I thought I take a moment and give him a tip of my space helment for his work on this show.
My favorite line of this episode has to be Buddy's recollection of Brian teaching him how to hit on Russian women. We haven't seen much about the Russian space program in this show. I wonder if Brian put the moves on some lovely Russian astronaut while aboard the ISS?