What three main factors dictate the final resting place of a rocket booster?

Answer

The vehicle’s design, the mission’s orbital requirements, and the operator’s philosophy

The ultimate destination of a spent booster stage is determined by a combination of engineering constraints (vehicle design), the required energy expenditure for the mission (orbital requirements), and the company's approach toward operational efficiency and cost reduction (operator philosophy on reusability).

What three main factors dictate the final resting place of a rocket booster?

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How SpaceX Lands Rockets with Astonishing Accuracy - YouTube

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