The shuttle was a technological triumph for its time.
Now is the time for another technological triumph.
We must not abandon space. Instead we must build a better machine.
Get competent engineers with a can-do attitude. Set the price tag and let them know they can't exceed it. Tell them what we want done, but NOT how to do it.
Sit back and watch them produce a miracle.
They could put a superhard removable shield/cover over the wings,like a second skin. It would perform aerodynamically the same during liftoff, and could be discarded or stored in the cargo bay for the return trip. Bolt them on, use them on the way up,take them off and bring them back or throw them away.