[cripplecreek]

I think they would be better off if the dropped the landing a pencil idea and go with the tried and true glide landing. Then they could concentrate on cutting turn around time and costs.

After all, for earth landing and launch, turnaround time and cost is their primary problem.

[Regulator]

Mmmm...like this? Dream Chaser

or this?

Energia Uragan

Fly back stages have been proposed, built and flown; it's still an overall trade that's hard to justify. Believe me, it's been done ad nauseum.

Stratolaunch is building a TSTO with flyable first stage (um, "airplanes"), and that seems to be the real way to go until somebody does a decent SSTO like Linear Airspike or the Skylon. Which may or may not work...but it seems like the ultimate best way to go with current engines.

Falcon 9 recoverable will eventually work, and for better or worse that's the path they took. Will it really be commercially viable? Bit more complicated...