> Also, if you are going to have a potentially rough landing, would you rather do so sitting 6" from a box containing a parachute, or 6" from a tank of rocket fuel?
The former, of course. I agree that a propulsive landing wouldn't be likely any time in the near future. But if it could eventually be shown to be safe (and therefore the quote above doesn't apply), I don't necessarily agree that it would be more expensive. You wouldn't need large engines or a lot of fuel, as the capsule wouldn't be very heavy. Yes, it would definitely still be more expensive than parachutes in terms of equipment and weight. However, it would mean you could land right back at your facility, rather than splashing down in the ocean and dealing with retrieval. When we're looking into the future of reusable, commodity space travel, that would be a significant advantage.
Why would a parachute not land at the home facility? Some, parafoils, can be flow and landed on runways like a glider. Nasa has been working on this concept for years. The X38 one was massive overkill, a full glider, but the concept of a chute directing the craft to a very specific touchdown point is well within today's tech.
The former, of course. I agree that a propulsive landing wouldn't be likely any time in the near future. But if it could eventually be shown to be safe (and therefore the quote above doesn't apply), I don't necessarily agree that it would be more expensive. You wouldn't need large engines or a lot of fuel, as the capsule wouldn't be very heavy. Yes, it would definitely still be more expensive than parachutes in terms of equipment and weight. However, it would mean you could land right back at your facility, rather than splashing down in the ocean and dealing with retrieval. When we're looking into the future of reusable, commodity space travel, that would be a significant advantage.