When mankind began spreading its wings outward to the stars, new opportunities opened up for corporations to develop the tools necessary for the new wave of colonization. Exploration and research vehicles soon began to see action on one world after another, pushing back the borders of the unknown like modern day Lewis and Clarkes. Fusion powered and containing their own food reserves/recycling systems and living areas, the standard exploration and research vehicle can spend months or years on station without need for resupply. Many of them are environmentally sealed against even airless environments, while others are designed for use in harsh terrain like deserts and water. It is common in fact to see them floating across rivers or lakes while studying the animals that live there. Every major exploration agency maintains some basic vehicles of this type, and worlds on the frontiers of civilization often see them rolling into town after a few months or more of working in field.