On Oct 8, 5:40*pm, David Spain wrote:
Greg (Strider) Moore wrote:
I suspect it'll be harder to do than suggested and take a few tries, but
hey, it's his money.

I agree if he want to waste his money no skin off my nose. But Jeff and Greg I
frankly I don't understand why shoot for full re-usability when 90% of the
cost recovery is probably in just getting the Merlins back.

Why not just drop them back using a ballute that can float them on the sea
surface for water recovery and harden them against salt water?

Dave

One possibility is that SpaceX is fishing for U.S. Air Force R&D
money. USAF has been playing with the idea of fly back boosters for
whatever comes after EELV. SpaceX probably wants to play that game.

- Ed Kyle