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What do SMs do with there drop pods after they drop? Do they just leave them there? Do they have some kind of drop pod retrieval system or are drop pods disposable?

Drop pods aren't supposed to drop and be destroyed by it. They drop controlled, and are easily retrievable post the action. Assuming they survive.

Forgeworld mentions in its blurb about the thunderhawk transporter that it is capable of retrieving drop pods and there are probably other vehicles that can do this too. We don't know about them because they come after the battle and pick things up.

It would be a real waste of the imperium's resources if they didn't pick up the functional drop pods after they've been dropped. It makes sense that Thunderhawks or other vehicles would carry out this task.

It's a pity that only Dreadclaws can extract themselves...

Marines are heavily reliant on high mobility and surgical deployment to make up for their lack of numbers. They're also very self-reliant. A strike cruiser with minimal escorts might be on patrol for many months, and deploy marines to a number of different locations during that time. I assume marines would make every effort to reclaim every vehicle they could, drop pods included, after every battle. Otherwise their ability to project force would drop off rapidly after the first deployment, seeing as and you can't carry infinite drop pods. Strike cruisers are big, but not that big.


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Also along the same lines, there are frequent mentions to salvaging and rebuilding other pieces of equipment, like fallen dreadnoughts and terminator armor, and even Rhinos. Not to mention the value of any geneseed that can still be claimed after a battle I imagine even in a losing fight, marines will keep their drop zone clear long enough to extract as much material as they can. Irreplaceable terminator armor or geneseed is more valuable than the life of any battle brother who might die defending it.

Drop Pods are probably recovered when possable. that said, they are likely designed to be semi-disposable and are probably easily replicated.

Drop pods likely are comparatively easy to build, but they aren't built on the ships so if the marines need to go to another battle then they need to pick up their pods. It also doesn't make sense leaving them there where chaos or xenos could take them and make use of them.