A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG) has often been dubbed “droneship design 3.0” by commentators due to its more refined design compared to SpaceX’s other droneships. A key feature is that its support equipment is neatly integrated into dedicated housing, primarily located on the aft end of the droneship. This configuration creates a larger and more unobstructed landing area for Falcon boosters. ASOG was also the first droneship to debut tapered wings on the landing area, a design improvement that was later retrofitted to Of Course I Still Love You.

Despite its refined design, ASOG still shares core features with its sister droneships, including four azimuth thrusters for station-keeping, an Octagrabber robot for booster securing, communication dishes, firefighting hoses, and robust electrical and engine power systems.

A Shortfall of Gravitas is currently the only droneship officially confirmed to be capable of self-propelled autonomous sailing, a capability famously showcased in a video released by Elon Musk. However, even with this advanced function, ASOG is still typically towed to landing sites by a support vessel. It primarily utilizes its autonomous technology to maintain its precise fixed position during landing operations, similar to how Of Course I Still Love You and Just Read the Instructions operate.