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When the station's commander, Frank Culbertson, began his shift on the morning of September 11, 2001, he was the only American stationed on the ISS. According to a letter he sent to NASA the next day, he performed a few tasks in his usual routine, including giving physical exams to the rest of the crew. When he finished with this, the flight surgeon asked to speak with him privately, and he received the news that "they were having a very bad day on the ground".
As information reached the planet below, Culbertson checked the map of the world to see where they were, and by the time they arrived, they were about to cross northern New England. -Where is. He found a window in the ISS where he could see New York when they would have passed and he was assured that he had a camera with him.
The photo he took is the one at the beginning of this article and was taken about the time the second tower was attacked. The international team worked on taking more photos in the following passages and gave Culbertson their support and sympathy, taking into account the enormity of what happened in Manhattan, Washington and Pennsylvania. .
The next day, Culbertson completed his letter to NASA, while being sure to record his feelings about this horrible event. The primordial emotion he felt was isolation, he wrote, adding the following at the end of the letter.
"It's hard to describe what it's like to be the only American off the planet at a time like this. The feeling that I should be there with all of you, dealing with that, helping somehow, is overwhelming. I know we are on the threshold (or beyond) of a terrible change in the history of the world. Many things will never be the same after September 11, 2001. "
The historical significance of Culbertson's photo is undeniable and, as the ISS continues to fly, its occupants continue to take photos. Recognizing the utility of the unique perspective provided by space, NASA has established the Earth Sciences Disaster Program to provide top-down perspectives on natural and technological disasters. Currently, the program is engaged in monitoring Hurricane Florence.
This year, on 9/11, NASA released a different image of Manhattan on Twitter, countering the smoky images of 17 years ago with an image of a city – and a country – who did his best to continue.
# Never forget those who are lost #September 11th. Here is a recent view of NYC from @Astro_Ricky sure @Space station. We remember: https://t.co/SCDUmzCUHk pic.twitter.com/BpUTM1h2RU
– NASA (@NASA) September 11, 2018
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