
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Shuttle Landing Facility on NASA Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Pilot James Kelly (center left) and Mission Commander Eileen Collins (center right) pause for a photo after exiting the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) behind them. With them are fellow crew members Mission Specialist Charles Camarda (far left) and Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson (far right). Collins and Kelly have been practicing night landings in the STA in preparation for the mission. The STA is a modified Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream 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. Because the orbiter is unpowered during re-entry and landing, its high-speed glide must be perfectly executed the first time. Return to Flight Mission STS-114 is scheduled to launch aboard Space Shuttle Discovery with a crew of seven at 10:39 a.m. EDT on July 26. Landing is expected on Aug. 7.
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NASA ID
05pd1671
Date Created
July 24, 2005
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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