Bob is a SpaceX dual-purpose support vessel based at Port Canaveral, Florida. Alongside identical twin ship Doug, both vessels are designed for both fairing and booster recovery operations. Bob is named after Bob Behnken, one of the first two NASA astronauts to fly on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the Demo-2 mission.

Bob was converted from a former platform supply ship – a kind of mini cargo ship designed to serve offshore platforms – from May to August 2021 in Louisiana. Construction work was almost finished on Bob when Hurricane Ida hit Port Fourchon on August 29th, 2021, where Bob was docked. The ship endured sustained winds of 155 mph. Visual damage appeared to be limited to several damaged antennas. Bob sailed to Tampa for repairs shortly afterward, ultimately arriving at Port Canaveral for service in October 2021.

Bob is equipped with a winch, enabling it to tow SpaceX droneships. The vessel is also capable of recovering and storing four Falcon fairing halves on deck, using a large crane. A fast boat (Either Maverick or Goose) is deployable from the vessel to support recovery operations.

Communication with SpaceX mission control and other assets is supported by multiple Starlink dishes and other systems.