This episode came about when the production started to run low on budget. In order to cut costs, they were forced to do an episode that would be almost completely situated in one location and focused on the interaction between two characters. However, these limitations worked to a lot of creative advantage, and 'Shuttlepod One' became one of the most popular episodes among cast and crew.
This is "Enterprise"'s first so-called 'bottle episode'; a low-budget episode made with existing sets and relatively few cast members and special effects, to save money for more expensive episodes. Although the practice itself is older, the term 'bottle episode' actually originated during production of the original Star Trek (1966), where cast and crew referred to them as 'ship-in-a-bottle episodes', since they usually took place entirely aboard the ship.
This is the only episode of any "Star Trek" series not to feature any actors other than the regular cast.
When Reed attempts to shave away his beard stubble, Tucker derides his actions as pointless. He says that nails and hair continue growing after death. Reed accepts the statement as true, but this concept is slightly misstated. The skin around hair and nails recedes, causing the illusion of growth.
This is the first episode in which no scene takes place on the bridge of the Enterprise NX-01.