From: no-spam@thank-you.com   
      
   Ian Woollard wrote:   
      
   > henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer) wrote in message news:...   
   > > >Basically my calculations show that you can save the entire first   
   > > >stage if you build an air breathing booster.   
   > >   
   > > That's plausible.  But so what?  You've turned a rocket first stage into   
   > > a jet first stage.  In the process, you've made it harder to build and   
   > > more difficult to develop.  For what?  To save *LOX*?  WHY???   
   >   
   > A reusable flyback booster?   
      
   You can have that without using jets on the ascent, only during the return   
   flight.  That is   
   a solved problem.  Heck, they can even use the same fuel as the ascent rocket   
   engines, for   
   sane choices of fuel :_>   
      
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