.Editor's Details: The adhering to is the content of a letter from Expedition Three Leader Frank L. Culbertson (Captain, USN Resigned), reviewing the occasions of September 11.September 12, 2001 7:34 p.m.I haven't written quite concerning specifics of this mission in the course of the month I've been here, generally for two factors: the initial being actually that there has actually been really little opportunity to accomplish that sort of writing, and also secondly due to the fact that I'm not sure just how comfortable I am actually sharing thoughts I provide friends and family along with the rest of the planet.Properly, obviously the planet modified today. What I point out or do is really minor compared to the implication of what happened to our country today when it was actually assaulted by ... by whom? Revolutionaries is all we know, I presume. Tough to know at whom to guide our temper and anxiety ...I had actually just completed a lot of tasks this morning, the absolute most taxing being the physical examinations of all team participants. In a personal chat observing that, the air travel doctor told me they were actually having a really bad day on the ground. I had no tip ...He illustrated the condition to me as best he knew it at ~ 0900 CDT. I was thrown for a loop, at that point terrified. My first thought was that this wasn't a real conversation, that I was still paying attention to among my Tom Clancy strips. It merely failed to appear achievable on this incrustation in our country. I could not even envision the details, also before the information of more destruction started can be found in.Vladimir came by pretty quickly, picking up that one thing extremely significant was being gone over. I waved Michael into the element as well. They were additionally blown away as well as stunned. After we signed off, I made an effort to explain to Vladimir as well as Michael as ideal I can the prospective magnitude of the show of fear in downtown New york as well as at the Government. They precisely understood and were actually really sympathetic.I eyed the Globe Map on the pc to see where over the planet our experts were as well as saw that we were happening southeast out of Canada and also will be actually overlooking New England in a handful of minutes. I whized around the terminal till I found a window that would provide me a scenery of NYC and also got hold of the local cam. It took place to be a video camera, as well as I was looking south from the home window of Michael's cabin.The smoke cigarettes seemed to possess a strange blossom to it at the bottom of the pillar that was streaming south of the urban area. After reading through one of the newspaper article our team just obtained, I believe our experts were considering NY around the amount of time of, or soon after, the crash of the second tower. Exactly how terrible ...I scanned the electronic camera all along the East Coast to the south to view if I could view any other smoke cigarettes around Washington, or anywhere else, however nothing showed up.It was quite tough to deal with work afterwards, though our experts possessed some to accomplish, yet on the next track our experts went across the United States more south. All three of us were working a couple of electronic cameras to try to obtain perspectives of New york city or even Washington. There was actually fog over Washington, yet no details resource can be observed. All of it appeared awesome coming from two to three hundred kilometers away. I can't visualize the unfortunate settings on the ground.Apart from the psychological effect of our nation being actually dealt with as well as thousands of our consumers and maybe some friends being killed, the absolute most mind-boggling emotion being actually where I am actually is just one of isolation.Next time ... I suppose the tiredness and mental pressure acquired the very best of me. I could not remain awake and also continue to write. Today was actually still hard, however our experts started getting even more info, plus our team had the honor of talking directly along with the Center Director, Roy Estess, who assured our company that the ground teams would certainly remain to function and also guarantee our safety, along with the safe procedure of the Place. Our team also learnt through our Supervisor, Mr. Goldin, that incorporated that the companions in the Plan are all totally dedicated to continuing safe operations and assistance. These were never ever questions for me. I understand all these individuals! The ground crews have actually been actually unbelievably supporting, incredibly understanding of the effect of the headlines, as well as have made an effort to become as helpful as feasible. They have actually all been extremely qualified and focused though I can not envision the interruption of this form of news coming in as well as the notion that federal government properties could be in jeopardy. They never avoided a beat, even when moving nerve center. As well as a team of senior personnel and good friends provided us a rather extensive instruction on what was actually understood and also what was being done in the authorities as well as at NASA on Tuesday afternoon, which was extremely handy as well as sort of them to carry out in the midst of all the chaos. The Russian TsUP has actually likewise been actually supportive and also helpful, making an effort to uplink news articles when our own possessions were actually unusable, and claiming kind phrases ...My crewmates have been great, as well. They know it is actually been actually a challenging time for me and the folks on the ground, and they've attempted to be as even keeled and beneficial as achievable. Michael even corrected me my favorite Borscht soup for dinner. And they provide me plenty of area to assume when I needed it. They are actually really thoughtful as well as certainly shocked at whoever would certainly perform this.I recognize numerous folks in Washington, numerous individuals that take a trip to DC as well as New York City, a lot of that are actually captains, that I felt sure I would acquire a minimum of a handful of items of problem over the upcoming handful of times. I got the very first one today when I found out that the Captain of the American Airlines plane that struck the Pentagon was Chic Burlingame, a classmate of mine. I met Chic during the course of cadet summer months when our team were in the D&B together, as well as our team possessed bunches of training class with each other. I can't picture what he has to of experienced, as well as now I hear that he might have climbed additionally than our company can also consider through potentially preventing his plane coming from being the one to deal with the White Property. What a terrible reduction, but I ensure Chic was actually battling fearlessly to the end. And splits don't circulate the same in space ...It's hard to define exactly how it feels to become the only United States completely off the earth at once such as this. The feeling that I must exist with all of you, taking care of this, helping in some way, is difficult. I understand that our company perform the limit (or even beyond) of a dreadful shift in the history of the planet. Lots of points will never be the same again after September 11, 2001. Not simply for the 1000s and also 1000s of folks directly influenced by these horrible process of violence, yet perhaps for everybody. Our team will definitely discover ourselves really feeling differently concerning dozens of points, featuring possibly area expedition, sadly.It's horrible to view smoke cigarettes pouring from wounds in your very own country coming from such a great point of view. The dichotomy of being on a space probe dedicated to boosting life on the planet and also checking out life being destroyed through such purposeful, terrible actions is actually jolting to the mind, despite who you are. And the expertise that whatever are going to be actually different than when our team launched due to the time our experts land is actually a little bit of disconcerting. I believe in our country and also in our management that our company will do every little thing possible to much better protect her and also our family members, as well as to take fair treatment for what has been actually carried out. I have assurance that the great people at NASA are going to carry out every thing required to continue our purpose safely as well as return our company properly at the correct time. As well as I miss out on each of you quite. I can't exist with you personally, as well as our company possess a very long way to go to complete our objective, but be actually specific that my soul is actually along with you, and also know you reside in my requests.Humbly, Frank.September 14, 2001 10:49 p.m. An upgrade to the last character ... Thankfully, it's been actually an active full week up here. And also to prove that, like our nation, we are actually continuing our planned course with organization customarily (as much as achievable). Tonight the current enhancement to the station, the Russian Docking Chamber are going to be actually introduced from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. On Sunday evening (US opportunity), it is going to dock along with our team, at a slot never made use of just before on the nadir edge of the Solution Element. This brand-new module is going to offer our company another spot to dock a Progression or even Soyuz as well as will certainly provide a big airlock along with two able to be used hatches for administering EVA's in Russian Orlan satisfies, which our experts will definitely carry out a few of before we get back.The complication before in dealing with today was actually insufficient headlines. The complication today is excessive. It came simultaneously when e-mail was restored, and also there's not enough opportunity to read everything! Plus it is actually also tough to cope with all of it instantly. But I enjoy obtaining it, and also I definitely enjoy the great characters of support as well as friendship I am acquiring.Our experts are prospering aboard, getting our job performed, and also discussing things. Final night our company possessed a lengthy discussion over dinner concerning the importance of these activities, the feasible actions to adhere to, and what ought to be done. After dinner, Michael resolved informing me that every email he got coming from good friends in Russia pointed out exclusively to tell me just how regretful they were actually that this taken place, expanding their acknowledgements, as well as inquiring just how I was actually carrying out. Vladimir educated me the Russian word for "acknowledgements" after speaking with the previous CDR, Yuri Usachev, on the phone in Star Urban area. (Both the Russian and the English phrases are actually a lot too lengthy to articulate simply.) Incredibly kind folks.For the final pair of times, the Russian MCC has actually sufficed to send real-time broadcasts of broadcast headlines concerning the occasion and also linked stories, to make sure I was well informed. Every expert who has actually started the line to talk about a technique or a trouble contends some aspect expanded introductions to me with kind phrases. Tonight the Russian capcom told our company that due to the wedding day of recognition in the US, throughout the day people had been actually bringing blooms as well as edging all the wall surfaces of the US embassy in Moscow, as well as this evening they were lighting candlesticks in the road outside the embassy. How the globe has actually changed.Folks all over appear to realize the senselessness and also horror in this strike. And the enormous loss. Moscow has actually managed these kind of issues in the final few years with house as well as metro bombings, so they are actually as anxious to remove this risk as we are. But the bottom product line is actually that there are great folks almost everywhere that want to reside in peace. I review that a kid inquired, "United States is actually therefore great to various other countries, our team regularly assist everyone, how can they hate us a lot?".I hope the instance of cooperation and also trust fund that this space capsule plus all the people in the course show daily are going to someday influence the remainder of the planet to function similarly. They must!However, we will not be actually flying over the US while people are actually igniting candlesticks. Do not know if our team could possibly see that anyway. Our team did, however, see a quite uncommon as well as stunning attraction a handful of minutes ago: the launch of our Docking Compartment on a Soyuz booster. We were actually eclipsing it and it came into view concerning three mins after its own launch from Baikonur as the sun struck our station, so it was actually still at night. It looked like a sizable comet along with a right, large tail silhouetted against the darker earth below. Even with some bad lighting fixtures for some time as the sunshine reached our window at a reduced angle, I managed some online video of it as to begin with our company passed the spacecraft, and afterwards enjoyed it begin to catch up as it acquired height as well as velocity. I shot up until main motor cutoff and booster splitting up happened just as our experts came close to sunrise on the Himalayas. An unforgettable view in an extraordinary week ...Life goes on, also in space. Our experts're listed here to stay ... Frank.