It was three things.  They had to get multiple government agencies to approve the landing pad and plan.  They had to have a relatively light payload.  And they had to &quot;deep freeze&quot; the fuel to squeeze in enough for a return.<p>I suspect even as this becomes routine most landings will still be on the barge.  Every ounce of fuel you use to reverse your direction is an ounce you could have put toward a larger payload.