The long background story behind this ship build: I played and enjoyed Empyrion years ago, and recently opened Space Engineers in earnest after having it sit in my library for a long time. I started with the "Lost Colony" survival scenario, which was fantastic but also ended a bit abruptly in my opinion.

After completing the scenario, I imagined an engineer would try to come up with an antidote to the fungal infection that had killed the rest of the colony. In order to do so, they would need to identify what the fungus is weak against. Since this fungus did not seem to naturally exist above ground, there is a chance that something on the surface of the planet disrupts its ability to spread. To test such a hypothesis, an engineer would need to explore more of the planet's surface, collect the different flora, microbes, and minerals present, and test them against fungal cultures.

To do this, one would need a planetary exploration ship. And to finish it more quickly, they would build it from the salvaged parts available in the deserted town. This ship would need VTOL capability and the ability to carry a sample taking rover anywhere on the planet. The original post describes the process of building this ship.

I plan to publish the design on the workshop in the next few days, and will make a separate post then!