The first stage of rockets launched from the US end up over the Atlantic. Unless you want to launch many percentage points more of fuel to propel it farther th

The first stage of rockets launched from the US end up over the Atlantic. Unless you want to launch many percentage points more of fuel to propel it farther than it would otherwise go, you're going to have to catch it in the ocean. The ocean landing is much more technically difficult, but it gives them the ability to use those extra percentage points of fuel on payload.