.Publisher's Keep in mind: The following is the content of a letter from Exploration 3 Leader Frank L. Culbertson (Captain, USN Resigned), reviewing the activities of September 11.September 12, 2001 7:34 p.m.I have not created significantly about specifics of this particular objective during the month I have actually been actually listed here, mostly for pair of causes: the 1st being that there has actually been actually very little bit of opportunity to do that sort of writing, as well as second of all due to the fact that I am actually uncertain how relaxed I am sharing notions I share with friends and family with the remainder of the globe.Properly, obviously the globe transformed today. What I mention or do is actually incredibly minor reviewed to the importance of what took place to our nation today when it was actually assaulted by ... through whom? Terrorists is actually all we understand, I suspect. Difficult to understand at whom to guide our temper and concern ...I had actually simply ended up a number of jobs today, the most time-consuming being actually the physical examinations of all workers participants. In a private discussion complying with that, the flight cosmetic surgeon told me they were having an extremely bad day on the ground. I possessed no concept ...He illustrated the condition to me as greatest he understood it at ~ 0900 CDT. I was actually amazed, after that terrified. My very first notion was that this wasn't a real talk, that I was actually still paying attention to one of my Tom Clancy strips. It just really did not seem feasible on this incrustation in our country. I couldn't also think of the particulars, also just before the news of more devastation began being available in.Vladimir dropped in pretty rapidly, picking up that one thing incredibly severe was actually being discussed. I swung Michael in to the component also. They were additionally impressed and stunned. After our company authorized off, I tried to detail to Vladimir as well as Michael as best I can the potential magnitude of the act of fear in downtown Manhattan as well as at the Pentagon. They precisely comprehended as well as were extremely supportive.I eyed the Globe Map on the pc to see where over the globe our company were actually and saw that our experts were happening southeast out of Canada and also will be skipping New England in a handful of moments. I zoomed around the station until I discovered a home window that would give me a viewpoint of NYC and also grabbed the nearby video camera. It happened to be a video camera, and I was actually appearing southern from the window of Michael's log cabin.The smoke cigarettes appeared to have a strange bloom to it at the bottom of the pillar that was actually streaming south of the city. After checking out one of the newspaper article our experts just got, I think our company were considering NY around the time of, or even soon after, the crash of the 2nd tower. Just how awful ...I panned the video camera all along the East Shoreline to the south to observe if I could view any other smoke cigarettes around Washington, or anywhere else, however nothing at all showed up.It was actually rather hard to deal with work after that, though our team possessed some to accomplish, yet on the following orbit we moved across the US further south. All three of us were working a couple of cameras to make an effort to obtain sights of New York or even Washington. There was actually haze over Washington, but no particular source can be seen. All of it looked astonishing from 2 to 3 hundred miles away. I can't picture the terrible scenes on the ground.Other than the emotional effect of our nation being actually attacked as well as lots of our people as well as maybe some buddies being actually eliminated, one of the most overwhelming feeling being actually where I am is one of solitude.Upcoming day ... I guess the fatigue as well as psychological tension obtained the most ideal of me. I could not keep awake as well as continue to create. Today was actually still tough, yet our company began acquiring more info, plus our company possessed the honor of speaking straight along with the Facility Supervisor, Roy Estess, who ensured our company that the ground teams will continue to operate as well as guarantee our security, in addition to the safe procedure of the Station. We additionally talked to our Administrator, Mr. Goldin, who included that the companions in the System are all completely dedicated to proceeding safe operations as well as assistance. These were certainly never questions for me. I understand all these people! The ground crews have been surprisingly supportive, very understanding of the impact of the headlines, and also have actually attempted to be as useful as possible. They have all been really professional and concentrated though I can't imagine the interruption of this kind of updates being available in as well as the thought that authorities buildings could be in jeopardy. They certainly never bypassed a beat, even when moving control centers. And also a group of senior employees and friends offered our company a rather detailed instruction about what was actually understood as well as what was actually being actually performed in the federal government as well as at NASA on Tuesday mid-day, which was actually really practical and sort of all of them to perform in the midst of all the turmoil. The Russian TsUP has additionally been actually encouraging and beneficial, making an effort to uplink news articles when our personal resources were actually inoperable, and also claiming kind words ...My crewmates have been actually great, also. They understand it is actually been a difficult time for me and the people on the ground, and they have actually tried to become as even keeled and helpful as feasible. Michael even corrected me my favorite Borscht soup for supper. As well as they provide me a lot of space to think when I needed it. They are extremely thoughtful as well as certainly shocked at whoever will do this.I know many folks in Washington, many individuals that travel to DC and NYC, plenty of that are actually aviators, that I really felt sure I would acquire at least a handful of parts of problem over the next handful of days. I received the initial one today when I learned that the Leader of the American Airlines jet that struck the Pentagon was Chic Burlingame, a friend of mine. I found Chic during the course of plebe summer when our experts were in the D&B together, and our company possessed bunches of lessons together. I can not envision what he must of gone through, as well as currently I listen to that he might have increased additionally than our experts can easily even think of through perhaps stopping his plane from being actually the one to deal with the White Home. What a horrible reduction, yet I ensure Chic was battling fearlessly to the end. And tears don't circulate the same in space ...It's tough to define how it experiences to be the only American totally off the planet at once like this. The emotion that I ought to exist along with each of you, coping with this, helping somehow, is overwhelming. I recognize that our team are on the threshold (or even beyond) of a horrendous shift in the history of the globe. Numerous factors will never coincide again after September 11, 2001. Certainly not simply for the manies thousand and also lots of individuals straight affected by these horrendous acts of violence, yet perhaps for all of us. Our company are going to locate our own selves feeling differently regarding loads of factors, featuring perhaps room exploration, however.It is actually unpleasant to view smoke pouring coming from wounds in your very own nation from such a wonderful viewpoint. The duality of getting on a space capsule committed to improving life on the planet and watching lifestyle being destroyed through such unforced, terrible actions is jolting to the subconscious, regardless of who you are. And also the knowledge that every thing will definitely be actually different than when our company released due to the opportunity our team land is a little disconcerting. I have confidence in our nation and in our leadership that our experts will definitely perform every little thing feasible to far better safeguard her and our households, and to carry justice for what has actually been performed. I possess assurance that the good people at NASA will carry out whatever essential to continue our mission properly as well as return our company properly at the correct time. And I miss out on each one of you significantly. I can not exist along with you in person, and we have a long way to head to complete our objective, but be actually particular that my heart is actually along with you, and understand you reside in my petitions.Submissively, Frank.September 14, 2001 10:49 p.m. An upgrade to the last letter ... Luckily, it is actually been a busy week up here. As well as to show that, like our nation, we are actually continuing our desired pathway along with service as usual (as much as possible). Tonight the most recent enhancement to the place, the Russian Docking Area will be introduced coming from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. On Saturday night (US opportunity), it is going to dock with our team, at a port never made use of just before on the nadir edge of the Solution Component. This brand new component will provide us another location to dock a Progress or even Soyuz and are going to supply a big airlock with two able to be used hatches for administering EVA's in Russian Orlan meets, which we are going to carry out a few of just before we return.The trouble just before in handling today was actually too little headlines. The problem right now is actually a lot of. It arrived at one time when email was actually brought back, and also there's insufficient time to review it all! Plus it is actually as well challenging to cope with all of it instantly. However I value obtaining it, and I actually appreciate the great characters of support as well as companionship I am receiving.Our team are actually flourishing on board, obtaining our work carried out, and discussing factors. Final evening we possessed a long dialogue over dinner concerning the implication of these occasions, the possible actions to comply with, and what should be performed. After dinner, Michael made a point of informing me that every email he acquired coming from close friends in Russia claimed exclusively to tell me how regretful they were that this taken place, extending their acknowledgements, as well as asking exactly how I was carrying out. Vladimir educated me the Russian term for "condolences" after speaking to the previous CDR, Yuri Usachev, on the phone in Superstar Area. (Both the Russian as well as the English terms are actually much very lengthy to articulate quickly.) Incredibly type folks.For the final pair of days, the Russian MCC has actually been good enough to transmit real-time programs of broadcast news concerning the event as well as linked tales, to see to it I was well informed. Every professional that has actually begun the line to talk about a method or even a problem contends some aspect prolonged hellos to me along with kind words. Tonight the Russian capcom told our team that as a result of the wedding day of recognition in the US, all day individuals had actually been carrying florals and also lining all the walls of the United States consulate in Moscow, and also this evening they were igniting candle lights in the road outside the consulate. Exactly how the world has actually transformed.Folks anywhere appear to identify the senselessness and also horror in this particular strike. As well as the tremendous loss. Moscow has actually taken care of these sort of concerns in the last couple of years with house and train bombings, so they are actually as nervous to get rid of this threat as we are actually. But all-time low line is actually that there are great individuals just about everywhere that intend to reside in tranquility. I read that a child asked, "The United States is thus excellent to various other countries, our experts always aid every person, how can they detest us a lot?".I wish the example of collaboration and also trust that this spacecraft plus all people in the program demonstrate daily are going to sooner or later motivate the rest of the globe to operate the same way. They must!However, we won't be actually flighting over the US during the time folks are lighting candle lights. Don't recognize if our experts can view that anyway. Our experts did, nonetheless, observe an incredibly uncommon and stunning attraction a few mins ago: the launch of our Docking Area on a Soyuz booster. We were eclipsing it and it came into view about 3 mins after its own launch coming from Baikonur as the sunshine attacked our terminal, so it was actually still unaware. It resembled a sizable comet with a right, broad tail silhouetted against the dark earth underneath. Even with some bad lights for a while as the sunshine attacked our window at a reduced position, I managed some online video of it as to begin with our experts passed the rocket, and then watched it start to mesmerize as it gained elevation as well as velocity. I recorded until major motor deadline as well as enhancer separation happened just like our experts approached sunrise on the Mountain ranges. A remarkable attraction in an extraordinary full week ...Life takes place, also in space. Our team're here to keep ... Frank.