Today we retreat to a quiet backwater of the Federation, where no harm could possibly befall us, for some quiet research with Ralph Savelsberg's L.U.R.C.H. and mobile lab.
Having anti-gravity technology and flying around at relativistic velocities can be a lot of fun, of course, but sometimes you just have to move something large and heavy across the surface of a planet. In that case, a wheeled vehicle is still the way to go. The Federation’s standard vehicle for this kind of task is called L.U.R.C.H., which stands for Large Ultra-Rugged Cargo Hauler. That name pretty much covers it. Rather than going for a high-tech option, this vehicle was built using old-fashioned but highly dependable technology. It has to be rugged. Where this thing goes, there is no breakdown service. There is no road either. In fact, other than a lot of dirt and the occasional scenic view, there generally isn't much of anything.