Uchuu Densetsu Ulysses 31

Both are science fiction with a clear cut, adult hero character with high moral standards, some educational content, unconventional spaceship designs, made during the same era. 

Both are sci-fi anime set in space and made by Tokyo Movie Shinsha in the early 1980s. 

Both are classic adventure anime from the 80s which both were produced/written/directed (depending on the title) by Jean Chalopin and Bernard Deyriès together with Japanese Studios. The also both have soundtracks created by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban, and both (English) dubs are made with the same voice actors. 

Sci-fi anime about traveling through space to reach a goal while battling various space monsters and bad guys. They are both shows from the 80s with a cult following, and they're adaptations of classic stories made into sci-fi (Journey to the West & Homer's Odyssey).