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Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 commander Chris Ferguson sits at the controls of the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

NASA

NASA
Washington, DC, United States

On the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-126 commander, Chris Ferguson, sits at the controls of the Shuttle Training Aircraft, or STA. Ferguson flew the STA to practice landing the shuttle on the runway. The STA is a Grumman American Aviation-built Gulf Stream II jet that was modified to simulate a shuttle’s cockpit, motion and visual cues, and handling qualities. In flight, the aircraft duplicates the shuttle’s atmospheric descent trajectory from approximately 35,000 feet altitude to landing on a runway. Ferguson previously served as pilot on the STS-115 mission, which flew in September 2006. The STS-126 mission to the International Space Station is targeted to launch Nov. 16. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Details

  • Title: Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 commander Chris Ferguson sits at the controls of the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
  • Location: Kennedy Space Center, FL
  • Owner: KSC
  • Album: cbabir
  • About Title: To help you find images you’re searching for, previously untitled images have been labelled automatically based on their description

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