Drop Pod recovery

[Magpie]

ceramite isn't magnetic tho'

[Psychosplodge]

But it would make sense to have in built magnetic grapple points to aid recovery.

Magnets!

[Blusox69]

Magnets.

Lasers

[Psychosplodge]

Lasers

Magnetic lasers? or Laser forged magnets?

[Wolfshade]

You can use laser to form a tractor beam, well in theory anway. So far the largest objects are still atomic in scale.

Magna grapple would make sense

[gwensdad]

My guess-they get disassembled, loaded onto transports, and taken back to the orbiting ships for re-assembly.

[Nabterayl]

Maybe to turn them quickly to launch another assault right away or soon without having to send the fleet back to get more? I'm looking for some background to make up a scenario.

Mystery's got it right - IA2 says that they're recovered using Thunderhawk Transporters.

As for why you'd want to recover them, I can think of two reasons other than the fact that you might want to use them again soon (though how soon you can reuse them would depend on your strike force's techmarine support, I think, since IA2 also says they need to be refurbished before reuse):

1. Space marines don't generally have very much manufacturing bandwidth. Even building a Rhino is a big deal; if drop pods were treated as disposable, the chapter would quickly outstrip its capacity to replace them.
2. Drop pods have machine spirits, which makes them just as much a part of the chapter as any other vehicle. You don't just leave your chapter's faithful steeds behind. You pick them up, and if necessary, you fight to techevac them, just as you would fight to techevac a knocked out Rhino, Land Raider, or dreadnought.

[chromedog]

ceramite isn't magnetic tho'

In that case, the T-hawk transporters wouldn't be able to carry the rhinos OR land raiders, either.
Something the fluff shows them VERY much able to do.

So ceramite is either magnetic or else they use a physical hydraulic clamp setup.

[Psychosplodge]

Or like I suggested they have magnetic grapple points...

[Daemonette666]

Another reason to buy the Forge World Model.

Yeah but you have to wait until FW have recast the mold for it, as it has degraded so badly that they can not make it anymore. Also there is the rumoured WH 30K Heresy era version of the Dreadclaw that is suppose to be in the works for future release.