Astronaut Charlie Precourt describes commanding the Space Shuttle Atlantis during its final approach and landing at Kennedy Space Center after a 10-day mission to the Russian Mir space station. The landing required precise coordination with mission pilot Eileen Collins as they descended from Mach 1 at 50,000 feet to touchdown at 195 knots, relying on extensive training in a modified Gulfstream aircraft that simulated shuttle performance characteristics.