Neither of those reasons are why. StalePhish has got it.

Musk made an offhand remark about that once. Some of us armchair engineers think it’s a crazy risk and complication to take (every flight is a risk, albeit smaller and smaller as they refine the design, but usually you get a paying customer at least).

Only Musk would have the balls to even suggest something like that.

Go catch it where it wants to fall rather than force it back to the pitcher imo

Best answer yet. Thanks,

Because the rocket makes a “gravity turn” to head significantly east as it goes up to prepare for a circular orbit, so it’s significantly out in the ocean before stage 1 separation. Maybe if they launched from Texas or something and landed in Florida it would be more practical, but that might be too large of a gap