Why not use chutes? Because with rockets, you can steer, and fine-tune the rate of descent. You don't need to splash down at sea, you can land on solid ground,

Why not use chutes? Because with rockets, you can steer, and fine-tune the rate of descent. You don't need to splash down at sea, you can land on solid ground, and pick which bit of ground to land on (such as a spaceport). It's less of a bumpy ride and cheaper to recover.