SpaceX Plans massive “Watership” to Transport Starships to Florida Launch Site
Cape Canaveral, FL - SpaceX is developing a large seacraft, dubbed a “watership” by Elon Musk, to transport Starships to the company’s launch facilities in Florida. The announcement, made via Musk’s X account, signals a new approach to logistical challenges in SpaceX’s rapidly expanding Starship program.
SpaceX currently relies on droneships – autonomous vessels serving as floating landing platforms for reusable rockets – to reduce the cost of space travel. This new watership represents an expansion of that maritime infrastructure, designed not for landing, but for the crucial task of moving the massive Starship vehicles between production facilities and the launchpad at cape Canaveral. The move underscores SpaceX’s commitment to increasing launch cadence and streamlining operations as it prepares for ambitious deep-space missions.
The company already operates several droneships, integral to making SpaceX rockets reusable by recovering them after flight. These vessels are named with references to science fiction, a tradition Musk appears to be continuing with the new project. He hinted the ship may be named “You’ll Thank Me Later,” a spacecraft featured in the work of Iain M. Banks, following a cryptic exchange on X where he initially posted the phrase.
Musk confirmed the connection to SpaceX after a user inquired, and subsequently specified the vessel would be a watership dedicated to transporting Starships. This development comes after a year marked by both successes and setbacks for SpaceX, including multiple rocket failures earlier in 2024. The new watership aims to improve logistical efficiency and potentially mitigate risks associated with land-based transport of the enormous Starship components.
