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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is ready for STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins to begin practice landing the orbiter. The STA is a modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulfstream II executive jet that was modified to simulate an orbiter’s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the STA duplicates the orbiter’s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. The orbiter differs in at least one major aspect from conventional aircraft; it is unpowered during re-entry and landing so its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. There is no go-around capability. The orbiter touchdown speed is 213 to 226 miles per hour. There are two STAs, based in Houston. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission, scheduled to launch July 13 in a window that extends through July 31.