Grasshopper test

Now up to 130 feet.

Zimmerman has his doubts, so it makes me wonder if I made a mistake with my calculations.  Probably so.  However, it should be kept in mind, though, that the reason for something not having been done before may not be that it is too difficult.  It may be that nobody seriously tried to do it before.

A flyback version of the Saturn V rocket was considered for the Space Shuttle.  It wasn't chosen in favor of another design.  One may think it wasn't chosen because of its lack of merit, but knowing Washington, that may not have had a damn thing to do with it.  Supposedly, the Shuttle was to usher in an era of affordable access to space.  But, Washington isn't interested in that.  Their priorities are elsewhere.

Besides, there was a failure mode for the Shuttle which required a return to launch site.  If the Shuttle was capable to do it, in theory, so should another system be capable of it also.