SpaceX is serious about reuse; not only to they land their booster rockets for later refurbishment and reuse, they also try to collect the payload fairings used to protect satellites during launch.
It's difficult to predict where they will land, and difficult to maneuver a boat with a big net into position. I happened across a cool story by Ed Earl Repp published in Air Wonder Stories in 1929. Flight of the Eastern Star suggests that vast airships can be equipped with rescue nets to capture (in the case of the story) men using parachutes.
“Can you manage to get into port. No. 12?” he asked.
“I doubt it, sir!” the man wheezed, still coughing: “She's settling forward now, and she’s likely to plunge at any moment! Can you take on my crew?”
“All right!” Captain Markson returned, scowling: “I’ll do it! We’ll spread nets on our hull top, and lay-to right under you in one minute! I’ll take the chance with my own passengers for humanity’s sake! ’Chute your men through the safety tube and I’ll catch ’em in the nets. Hurry!”
The skipped yelled an unintelligible something, as the screen died. Captain Markson grabbed a telephone and yelled into it.
“Raise the rescue nets!” he bellowed: “And stand by for further orders!”
SpaceX Wants A Moonbase Alpha
'And he had been sent with troops, supplies and bombs to command Russia's most trusted post, the Moonbase.' - L. Ron Hubbard, 1948.
Can A Human Land A SpaceX Rocket On Its Tail?
'If she starts to roll sideways — blooey! The underjets only hold you up when they’re pointing down, you know.' - Stanley G. Weinbaum, 1936.
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Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI
'Stasis, cold sleep, hibernation, hypothermia, reduced metabolism, call it what you will - the logistics-medicine research teams had found a way to stack people like cordwood and use them when needed.'
Deflector Plasma Screen For Drones ala Star Wars
'If the enemy persists in attacking or even intensifies their power, the density of the plasma in space will suddenly increase, causing it to reflect most of the incoming energy like a mirror.'