Inventive Man Musk Loves Inventive Product Names

Elon Musk deep in thought for inventive product names. Source: Insider, REUTERS/Mike Blake (Creative Commons License).

There is no doubt that Elon Musk is a gifted inventor after bringing us so many good inventions that serve us both on earth and in space. Thanks to him, electric vehicles are all over the place. It is also courtesy of him that space travel may become 'cheap' and humanity stands a chance of populating other planets.

However, one aspect where Musk is also imaginative is coming up with names for his company's inventions. For example, one of the drone ships that his partially reusable rockets land on out in the ocean is named "Just Follow The Instructions", while another one is known as "Of Course I Still Love You". 

        SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" landing pad (Creative Commons License).

And when the Starship starts going on missions and returning, it will be caught by a pair of arms attached to the launch tower named "Mechazilla".

"Mechazilla" catching a SpaceX rocket. (Creative Commons License).

How Does Musk Come up with Names for His Inventions?

First, you need to understand that Musk is a proper nerd. As a result, his interest falls towards science fiction, which is where many of his invention names come from. Although not necessarily popular TV science fiction. The CEO has a preference for classics like Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and Adam's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

The two drone ships mentioned above received their names from the Culture series by science fiction author Iain M. Banks, who died of cancer in 2013. In fact, when he announced the names, Musk dedicated the drone ships in the memory of the late author.

First, you need to understand that Musk is a proper nerd. As a result, his interest falls towards science fiction, which is where many of his invention names come from.

Similarly, SpaceX's rockets are named "Falcon 9" and "Falcon Heavy", derived from the Millennium Falcon of Star Wars. Musk could have decided on the Enterprise, but that had been snapped up by Nasa's space shuttle decades earlier.

However, Musk names his inventions lightheartedly sometimes. For example, The Boring Company, his company that bores tunnels, is actually an obvious pun seeing as their company is nothing short of boring. Also, Tesla cars are named Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y. The letters were supposed to form the word SEXY, but Ford spoiled the fun by trademarking Model E and threatened to sue if Tesla used it. Apparently, Musk is not a fan of legal wrangling, so he settled for the closest alternative, Model 3. Neuralink may be the least exciting of his company or brand names, but either way, Musk and his teams clearly have talent for creating mind share.

Regardless of the inspiration for the names, Musk's inventions continue to benefit humankind.