Astronaut Frank L. Culbertson Jr Reflects on 9/11 from Space

On September 11, 2001, while two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, astronaut Frank L. Culbertson Jr was orbiting Earth 408 kilometers above it. During the unprecedented attacks, he remained the only American not present on the planet.

Culbertson, who was the commander of Expedition 3 aboard the International Space Station (ISS), learned about the tragic events of 9/11 shortly after 9 a.m. from the onboard medical doctor. The news provided was devastating, detailing four suicide attacks claimed by Al-Qaeda.

In his recollections, Culbertson expressed profound shock and horror. He remarked, “I was stunned, then horrified. My first thought was that it wasn’t real, as if I were listening to one of my Tom Clancy tapes. It simply did not seem possible, at that scale, in our country. I could not even imagine it beforehand.”

Following discussions with his Russian crewmates on the ISS, he sought a view of New York City. Culbertson circulated the station until he found a window and captured several photographs, one of which shows smoke rising from the city.

Feeling remarkably isolated in space, he struggled to refocus on his work. The emotional toll of the attacks, coupled with the fear for the lives of thousands, weighed heavily on him. In his letter penned between September 12 and 14, he documented his feelings of stupor and anger.

Culbertson articulated the profound sense of being disconnected from his country during such a critical moment, saying, “It is difficult to describe what one feels when one is the only American who has completely left the planet at a time like this. The feeling that I should be there with you all, to face this situation, to help in some way, is overwhelming.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, NASA proceeded with the mission, aligning with Culbertson’s desire to continue. He concluded his reflections with a message of resilience, stating, “Life goes on, even in space. We are here to stay…”