The program was created and written by Gene Roddenberry and featured many actors that would later be regulars on Roddenberry's Star Trek (1966) two years later. In this one, Walter Koenig is featured as the Sergeant applying to be an officer. Koenig would go on to play officer Ensign Chekov on the Enterprise.
The episode bears the distinction of having three actors, who would later portray navigators on the USS Enterprise of "Star Trek", all appearing together in a single scene. Gary Lockwood portrayed Gary Mitchell in Where No Man Has Gone Before (1966) while Paul Comi played the Navigator in Balance of Terror (1966). Walter Koenig would then portray the Navigator Pavel Chekov throughout Star Trek (1966).