A space probe returns to Earth covered with a mysterious fungus, which, when accidentally mixed with human blood, transforms into an ever-growing pile of space rust. If not stopped, the infection could eventually cover the entire world.
After making several Westerns for Regal Pictures, director Ed Bernds and producer Bernard Glasser thought they would make a science fiction picture. Bernds says the script was written on "spec" by Daniel Mainwaring and George Worthing Yates. Bernard Glasser bought it and director Bernds rewrote the script without credit because the original was written for a feature film with a larger budget and a longer running time. Bernds said the film's total budget was $ 90,000. Glasser, however, recalled that Space Master X-7 was budgeted at $125,000, with $25,000 going to the screenwriters. The film was rushed into production to take advantage of the Explorer I satellite space launch. Regal's head of publicity, Marty Weiser, recommended they change the title from Missile into Space to the more exciting-sounding Space Master X-7. Harry Spalding, who was Robert L. Lippert's story editor, recalls the filmmakers went over budget but did a good job, so good they were hired for The Return of the Fly. Moe Howard, who made a cameo appearance in the film in a notable departure from his slapstick performances, had worked previously with Bernds on his Three Stooges shorts and asked if the production crew had a position for his son-in-law Norman Maurer. Maurer would work as the film's production assistant received $1,000.00 for his efforts. In fact, Glasser was so impressed with Maurer's work that he recommended him to producer Sidney Pink for Pink's upcoming science fiction film, The Angry Red Planet.
A Space Master X-7video game was announced in 1983 for the Atari 2600 by Fox's video game publishing arm; it was not based on the original feature film. In fact, programmer David Lubar had not even heard of the 1958 film before Fox decided to attach its title to an original game he had developed. The game's Atari 800 port, published by Sirius Software that same year, was eventually released as Alpha Shield, dropping the film connection entirely.
