Speelcline, in the book Designers & Dragons (2011), highlighted that in 1989

Spelljammer was the first of a host of new campaign settings published by TSR. It
was created by Jeff Grubb and "introduced a universe of magical starships
traversing the ‘crystal spheres’ that contained all the earthbound AD&D campaign
worlds. It suggested a method to connect together all of TSR's settings and at the
same time introduced fun new Jules Verne-esque technology that had never before
been seen in the game. It was innovative and popular."[1]: 
26  Appelcline commented
that Spelljammer "offered a way to connect every single D&D fantasy world, was thus
one of the first true crossovers" in role-playing games.[1]: 
219 

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (2nd edition)

Original Spelljammer boxed set (TSR, 1989)

The Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space space fantasy boxed set was released in
1989.[2] Several of TSR's other campaign worlds had their own sections in the
Spelljammer Boxed Set - Realmspace for the Forgotten Realms, Krynnspace for
Dragonlance, and Greyspace for Greyhawk. Along with the new sphere - Clusterspace -
they were known as the "Big Three and Astromundi". Dark Sun, Ravenloft and Mystara
weren't included, as the first two did not fit with the setting and the Mystara
only used the D&D rules, not the AD&D rules.[citation needed]

The product line would be expanded with a number of boxed sets and accessories such
as Lost Ships (1990),[3] Realmspace (1991)[4] and The Astromundi Cluster (1993).
Appelcline commented that The Astromundi Cluster acted as "a soft reboot of the
Spel Prime Material Plane and uses the crystal spheres, and the "phlogiston"
between them, to form natural barriers between otherwise incompatible settings.
Though the cosmology is derived largely from the Ptolemaic system of astronomy,
many of the ideas owe much to the works of Jules Verne and his contemporaries, and
to related games and fiction with a steampunk or planetary romance flavor. A strong
Age of Sail flavor is also present.Spelljammer introduced into the AD&D universe a
comprehensive system of fantasy astrophysics, including the Ptolemaic concept of
crystal spheres. Crystal spheres may contain multiple worlds and are navigable
using ships equipped with "spelljamming helms". Ships powered by spelljamming helms
are capable of flying into not only the sky but into space. With their own fields
of gravity and atmosphere, the ships have open decks and tend not to resemble the
spaceships of science fiction, but instead look more like galleons, animals, birds,
fish or even more wildly fantastic shapes.

The Spelljammer setting is designed to allow the usual sword and sorcery adventures
of Dungeons & Dragons to take place within the framework of outer space tropes.
Flying ships travel through the vast expanses of interplanetary space, visiting
moons and planets and other stellar objects.

Like the Planescape setting, Spelljammer unifies most of the other AD&D settings
and provides a canonical method for allowing characters from one setting (such as
Dragonlance) to travel to another (such as the Forgotten Realms). However, unlike
Planescape, it keeps all of the action on the Prime Material Plane and uses the
crystal spheres, and the "phlogiston" between them, to form natural barriers
between otherwise incompatible settings. Though the cosmology is derived largely
from the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, many of the ideas owe much to the works of
Jules Verne and his contemporaries, and to related games and fiction with a
steampunk or planetary romance flavor. A strong Age of Sail flavor is also
present.e cosmos when there was still so much undiscovered on their own planet.
[18]t as a means of further spreading the faith.[17] By contrast, the Church of
Grumbar denounced spelljamming and would preach in public about its evils,
believing that it was foolish of the people of Toril to explore the cosmos when
there was still so much undiscovered on their own planet.[18]