re: Look what is done elsewhere
Russian space program!
They developed the Soyuz launcher, the Soyuz spacecraft, the Progress vehicle, the Proton rocket for 20 tonnes modules and that's all.
It was a priority to deliver goods and to burn leftovers after use, not to return anything except astronauts and films.
They also developed the unmanned Photon (former Vostok) strictly for experiments involving weightlessness and returning them.
Raoul