The exact moment an astronaut saw the Twin Towers fall from space

In 2001, the NASA leads the third expedition to International space station (ISS), still young and incomplete at the time, since its first module was launched in 1998. Meanwhile, on Earth, September 11 at 8:46 am. new York, they started Al Qaeda terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

All Americans watched in horror what was happening in their country and thousands of New Yorkers suffered. But there was one who it was 400 kilometers above the surface of the paneta and you had a unique vision of the horror that gripped The Big Apple.

The astronaut Frank Culbertson he was inside the ISS module when he learned of the events. “We got up early because we had to do routine medical tests. Then, as always, I called Earth to get the news of the day and asked how everything was. They replied: “ Today we are not having a good day ”He remembers.

Culberston, who shared the space mission with Russian cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Turin, he recalled the facts. “I didn’t know what was going on and they started to describe to me what was going on. Attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Plus they warned me that another plane was crashing Pennsylvania. It was completely crazy, ”he described.

“I took my camera and I pointed it at the window. It was fine and everything was very clear. I could see how a huge column of dust who came from the city. I zoomed in and could see the smoke lines coming from Manhattan. And we could see the second tower collapsingCulberston said.

“I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I knew it was a very bad thing because there was a big cloud of debris covering Manhattan, ”said the retired captain of the United States Navy, who at the time commanded NASA’s Expedition3 mission.

“I could see New York and the smoke from the fires. I thought of all the people that was there, and then I looked over the east coast to see if I could find anything else. It wasn’t a good feeling you had when you couldn’t be with loved ones, that you love, and they are not sure. But NASA allowed me to call my wife and know she and my kids were okay», Clarified the astronaut.

Culbertson understood from the start that the attacks would change the history of the world. “That’s when it all got really painful because it was like seeing an injury on the side of my country, my family, my friends. I knew we were on the verge of the start of a terrible change for humanity. A lot of things will never be the same after September 11, 2001. Not only for the thousands and thousands of people directly affected by these horrific acts of terrorism, but for all of us, ”he said.

In addition, the astronaut discovered on the same day as his friend and classmate at the naval academy, Charles Burlingame, was the pilot of the flight of American Airlines which crashed into the Pentagon. “It was a terrible loss but I’m sure he fought bravely to the end. Tears don’t flow the same in spaceCulbertson describes.

Despite the emotional difficulty, the astronaut successfully completed the rest of his mission. And after passing 129 days in space, landed on December 17, 2001 aboard the space shuttle Effort.

Culbertson, who is currently retired, noted that he hopes the country does not forget the attacks and the lessons they taught. “I think it’s important that people continue to learn from this attack and make sure we become a better country, and don’t go back or fall back on them,” he said. concluded.

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