The shuttle Onizuka, which Data rode in, was named in tribute to astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who was killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
This episode sees the first appearance of the re-designed Starfleet hand phaser. The bulky hand phasers used in the first two seasons had been mockingly compared to Dustbuster portable vacuum cleaners by fans, so new props were created with a sleeker, more weapon-like profile.
The phrase "the ensigns of command" is from the poem "The Wants of Man" by John Quincy Adams. In the context of this poem, the term "ensign" means a flag or symbol, not the Starfleet rank.
The Sheliak costume is the same costume used for the alien Armus in Skin of Evil (1988), only not covered in oil.
During filming, the entourage of The Dalai Lama visited the sets and had pictures taken with Brent Spiner.