Just Read the Instructions (JRTI) is SpaceX's longest-serving active drone ship and the most-landed rocket recovery platform in history. Originally based on the West Coast for Pacific missions, JRTI was rebuilt on a larger hull and relocated to Port Canaveral in 2020 to support the growing East Coast launch cadence.
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Type | Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) |
| Status | ● Active |
| Home Port | Port Canaveral, Florida |
| Coast | East Coast (Atlantic) |
| Length | 91m (300ft) |
| Beam | 52m (170ft) |
| Built / Acquired | 2015 (rebuilt 2020 on larger hull) |
| Name Origin | Named after a General Systems Vehicle from Iain M. Banks' Culture novel "The Player of Games" |
| Associated Vehicles | Falcon 9 Block 5, Falcon Heavy, Starship (transport) |
JRTI has completed over 157 successful booster landings — more than any other drone ship. The vessel was originally a smaller barge stationed at the Port of Long Beach, California, supporting Vandenberg launches. As SpaceX's East Coast launch rate accelerated, the company rebuilt JRTI on a full-size 300-foot hull and moved it to Florida in 2020.
Beyond its primary role as a landing platform, JRTI has been adapted to serve as a transport barge for Starship hardware, ferrying flight components between Starbase in Texas and Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the Gulf of Mexico. This dual-use capability demonstrates SpaceX's resourceful approach to fleet management.
JRTI operates alongside A Shortfall of Gravitas on the East Coast, with tugs like Finn Falgout towing the ship to and from landing zones.