"WolfRat" wrote

They could aero-brake from orbit slower but it would take forever.

Not really. If you slow down gradually, the effect of gravity takes hold,
and you start falling faster. Mush of the speed is picked back up in that
manner.

If they launched an unmanned fuel source, docked and then transfered fuel
it could be done.

You still have to pay to get all of that fuel up there. That is not cheap,
let alone the fueling station cost, and the weight to get that up there.

Keep it simple the new Orion(Apollo on steroids) will work just fine. The
Russians have done a good job with safe and repeated journeys from orbit.

I would have more of a warm fuzzy feeling, if that were true. The Russians
have lost a couple crews on the whole re-entry landing procedure, I believe.
At least one, I am positive.

The Orion will be/should be more reliable, because of more simplicity, and
the fact that it will be above the whole rocket, and the fact that it does
not need to be made reusable.
--
Jim in NC