On Oct 26, 6:16*pm, Andrew Nowicki
wrote:
William Mook wrote:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/30943696/ETDHLRLV
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31261680/Etdhlrlv-Addendum

You can use wings on the first, and maybe on the second stage rockets,
to slow down descent, but parachutes are cheaper. The solid rocket
boosters of the Space Shuttle use parachutes to slow down before
splashdown.

Technical posts belong in sci.space.tech.

Stick with wings, and fly those spent units right back to where they
started.

With Mook's spare or surplus amount of thrust, apparently there's not
an inert mass problem. Otherwise simply mass produce and toss
everything away is almost as good or even a little better than the
parachute and water recovery options.

~ BG