Is water really any softer than dry land, plus...
Ever do a belly flop in a pool? It hurts. Water has the tensile strength
of steel. And don't respond with Ever do a belly flop on dry land? Too
obvious and takes away from my point.
NASA Watch is reporting that NASA has denied it has dropped the dry
landing option and is still looking at its options.
A space elevator would solve this issue and be much more dignified and
civilized. Maybe that's when ETI will contact us - only when we have
developed a working space elevator and have abandoned primitive and
dangerous rockets for getting into space.