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Other possible methods to make the Falcon 9 reusable might be to use the "parashield" idea of the Dr. David Akin or the inflatable heat shield NASA is investigating. These might make the reusable Falcon 9 easier and quicker to implement since the usual cylindrical shaped stages could be used:

Phoenix: A Low-Cost Commercial Approach to the Crew Exploration Vehicle.

http://www.nianet.org/rascal/forum2006/presentations/1010_umd_paper.pdf

"Figure 5.9-1: Phoenix ParaShield in stowed and deployed configurations."

 Another advantage of the parashield is that it can also serve as a parachute once the vehicle has passed through reentry.

And for NASA's inflatable heat shield:

NASA Launches New Technology: An Inflatable Heat Shield.

UPDATE: 08.17.09

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/features/irve.html

See the video on this page describing the inflatable heat shield.

Bob Clark