Definitely, but...
Hi All
On the riding plasma back down - agreed. But with the right design I'm sure a better re-entry path can be employed. The Shuttle's death-dive is due to it being a kludgey half-arsed compromise that's too heavy for safety.
The evacuated tube idea isn't so silly really, since it helps stop anything from accidentally crossing the launch track. The electromagnetic levitation of the track and the tethers through 22 km of air... would freak me out. Glad there's no windows on the way up.
Adam