If you’ve followed SpaceX Falcon 9 launches for a while, you may know how the company routinely lands each vehicle’s first stage — the bottommost portion of the rocket that gives the initial burst of power at liftoff — on seafaring platforms that SpaceX calls “droneships.” Musk’s company has bestowed some intriguing names on those vessels — including Just Read the Instructions, A Shortfall of Gravitas, and Of Course I Still Love You. Those are all nods to Iain M. Banks’ “Culture” series of science fiction books.
Blue Origin hopes to replicate SpaceX’s success in recovering rocket boosters in order to drive down costs. Named for Bezos’ mother, the company’s “Jacklyn” landing pad was initially going to be on board a retrofitted cargo ship that Bezos purchased years ago.
