A survey of launch vehicle recovery techniques

Launch vehicle recovery technology has witnessed considerable advancement in recent years. This not only reduces the cost of access to space but also its rapid exploration. This paper gives a historical overview, surveys the launch vehicle recovery techniques, classifies based on multiple criteria, lists the advantages and disadvantages of each recovery technique, discusses the key phases involved during the recovery and lists the strategies adopted by various missions for each phase. It also gives an overview of the cost implications of launch vehicle recovery and reuse as reported in the open literature.