This is not a clickbait either. Just when you thought you’ve witnessed all the surprises from Billionaire CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk, then comes the above error message on the screen. I was watching SpaceX crew Dragon launch last May 30 and surreal as it gets all of a sudden the host said docking to Of course I still love you.
Of Course I Still Love You was previously based in Florida from 2015 to 2021. The droneship is a modified barge that is outfitted with a large landing platform, station-keeping thrusters, and other equipment to allow SpaceX to land boosters at sea on high-velocity missions that cannot carry enough fuel to allow for a return-to-launch-site landing.
Of Course I Still Love You is unmanned during all landings. Once the landing is complete, Octagrabber will be deployed to secure the booster and SpaceX technicians will dis-engage the thrusters and prepare the droneship for the return journey. The tugboat will then tow OCISLY back to port.
Today, Musk tweeted that he’s named two of his spaceport drone ships in the most fitting way: after ships from science fiction writer Iain M. Banks’ Culture novels. SpaceX’s autonomous spaceport drone ships are custom-built ocean platforms designed to accommodate the landing of booster rockets after they have sent spacecraft into orbit.