.Publisher's Note: The observing is actually the content of a letter coming from Trip Three Leader Frank L. Culbertson (Captain, USN Resigned), reassessing the activities of September 11.September 12, 2001 7:34 p.m.I haven't written very much about specifics of this goal during the month I have actually been listed below, generally for 2 main reasons: the first being that there has been actually very little time to accomplish that sort of writing, and also given that I am actually not sure how pleasant I am discussing thoughts I provide family and friends with the remainder of the planet.Well, definitely the globe transformed today. What I claim or even carry out is actually incredibly small compared to the implication of what occurred to our nation today when it was assaulted through ... by whom? Revolutionaries is actually all we know, I suspect. Challenging to recognize at whom to direct our anger as well as concern ...I had merely ended up a lot of tasks today, the absolute most time-consuming being actually the physical examinations of all workers members. In a private chat adhering to that, the tour doctor told me they were having a really poor day on the ground. I possessed no idea ...He defined the circumstance to me as best he recognized it at ~ 0900 CDT. I was amazed, at that point terrified. My 1st thought was that this wasn't a real talk, that I was actually still listening to among my Tom Clancy strips. It simply failed to appear achievable on this scale in our nation. I could not also think of the particulars, also before the information of further devastation began being available in.Vladimir visited pretty quickly, picking up that something quite significant was actually being talked about. I waved Michael into the module as well. They were actually likewise astounded as well as stunned. After our experts signed off, I attempted to detail to Vladimir and Michael as absolute best I might the prospective immensity of the act of fear in midtown Manhattan and also at the Pentagon. They plainly recognized and were quite compassionate.I glanced at the Globe Chart on the computer system to see where over the world we were actually and also noticed that our team were happening southeast out of Canada as well as will be actually skipping New England in a couple of moments. I whized around the terminal until I discovered a window that would certainly give me a scenery of NYC and grabbed the nearest cam. It occurred to become a camera, and also I was appearing southern from the home window of Michael's log cabin.The smoke seemed to be to have a strange bloom to it at the foundation of the column that was streaming south of the city. After reading through among the newspaper article our company just received, I feel we were actually looking at NY around the amount of time of, or even not long after, the collapse of the second high rise. How dreadful ...I scanned the camera all along the East Coastline to the south to view if I can see some other smoke around Washington, or anywhere else, but nothing at all showed up.It was actually quite hard to think about job after that, though our experts had some to perform, but on the next track our experts moved across the United States more south. All 3 of us were actually functioning one or two electronic cameras to attempt to get scenery of The big apple or even Washington. There was actually haze over Washington, however no details resource may be observed. All of it appeared awesome from two to three hundred miles away. I can not picture the unfortunate settings on the ground.Aside from the psychological influence of our country being actually tackled and 1000s of our citizens and perhaps some buddies being actually gotten rid of, the best frustrating emotion being where I am actually is among isolation.Following day ... I suppose the tiredness and also psychological stress acquired the best of me. I couldn't remain awake and also remain to write. Today was actually still hard, but our company started receiving additional details, plus our team possessed the respect of speaking straight with the Facility Director, Roy Estess, who guaranteed us that the ground groups will remain to work as well as ensure our safety, along with the secure function of the Station. Our company also talked to our Administrator, Mr. Goldin, that added that the partners in the Program are actually all completely devoted to proceeding secure procedures and also support. These were never concerns for me. I understand all these folks! The ground staffs have been extremely supporting, extremely understanding of the effect of the information, and have made an effort to become as beneficial as achievable. They have all been extremely expert and concentrated though I can not picture the interruption of this form of updates being available in as well as the thought that federal government buildings might be vulnerable. They never bypassed a beat, even when moving nerve center. As well as a team of elderly employees as well as close friends offered our company a rather extensive rundown on what was actually understood and also what was actually being actually done in the authorities as well as at NASA on Tuesday mid-day, which was actually quite beneficial and also type of all of them to perform in the middle of all the chaos. The Russian TsUP has actually also been actually helpful as well as useful, attempting to uplink news articles when our very own possessions were unusable, and also mentioning kind phrases ...My crewmates have actually been terrific, also. They understand it is actually been actually a difficult time for me as well as the folks on the ground, and also they've attempted to become as also keeled and helpful as achievable. Michael also corrected me my favored Borscht soup for dinner. As well as they provide me plenty of space to think when I needed it. They are actually incredibly considerate and also of course outraged at whoever will perform this.I know numerous people in Washington, numerous individuals who take a trip to DC and NYC, plenty of who are pilots, that I experienced certain I will obtain a minimum of a handful of parts of problem over the next few days. I got the 1st one today when I found out that the Captain of the American Airlines jet that attacked the Pentagon was Chic Burlingame, a friend of mine. I found Chic in the course of plebe summertime when our company were in the D&B all together, as well as our team possessed considerable amounts of training class with each other. I can not visualize what he must of experienced, and also currently I hear that he might possess increased further than our company can even think about through potentially avoiding his airplane from being the one to tackle the White Property. What a terrible loss, yet I'm sure Chic was fighting bravely to the end. And rips don't circulate the exact same precede ...It is actually tough to define just how it experiences to become the only United States entirely off the world at a time like this. The sensation that I ought to exist with all of you, managing this, aiding somehow, is actually difficult. I know that our company perform the threshold (or past) of an awful switch in the record of the globe. Numerous factors will definitely never ever coincide once more after September 11, 2001. Certainly not just for the manies thousand and also countless individuals directly impacted through these hideous acts of violence, yet probably for all of us. Our experts will certainly find ourselves really feeling differently about dozens of traits, including possibly area exploration, however.It is actually awful to find smoke pouring from injuries in your very own nation from such an amazing viewpoint. The dichotomy of being on a space probe dedicated to enhancing daily life on the earth and viewing lifestyle being destroyed through such intentional, horrible process is actually jolting to the psyche, regardless of that you are actually. As well as the knowledge that every little thing are going to be actually different than when our team introduced due to the time our experts land is a little bit of disconcerting. I believe in our nation and in our leadership that our experts will definitely do every thing possible to much better shield her as well as our households, and also to deliver fair treatment of what has been performed. I possess peace of mind that the really good folks at NASA are going to do whatever needed to continue our mission securely as well as return our team carefully at the right time. As well as I miss out on all of you very much. I can not be there with you face to face, and our team have a long way to go to finish our goal, but be actually particular that my center is actually along with you, as well as recognize you remain in my prayers.Submissively, Frank.September 14, 2001 10:49 p.m. An update to the last character ... The good news is, it's been actually an active week up listed here. And also to confirm that, like our nation, our experts are actually continuing on our designated path with service customarily (as high as feasible). Tonight the most recent enhancement to the place, the Russian Docking Compartment will definitely be launched coming from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. On Saturday night (United States time), it will definitely dock along with our company, at a port never made use of prior to on the low point edge of the Solution Module. This new module will certainly provide us another area to dock a Progression or Soyuz and also will definitely supply a large airlock with pair of useable hatches for administering EVA's in Russian Orlan satisfies, which our experts will definitely do a few of just before our company return.The problem before in coping with recently was inadequate updates. The trouble today is a lot of. It arrived simultaneously when email was actually recovered, and there is actually insufficient time to review all of it! Plus it is actually also challenging to take care of all of it at the same time. However I enjoy acquiring it, as well as I truly appreciate the fantastic letters of help and also relationship I am actually acquiring.Our company are actually succeeding aboard, receiving our job carried out, and referring to traits. Last night we possessed a lengthy dialogue over dinner concerning the importance of these activities, the feasible activities to comply with, and also what should be performed. After dinner, Michael resolved informing me that every email he got coming from buddies in Russia pointed out primarily to tell me exactly how regretful they were actually that this happened, stretching their condolences, and also asking how I was actually doing. Vladimir instructed me the Russian word for "condolences" after consulting with the previous CDR, Yuri Usachev, on the phone in Superstar Metropolitan area. (Both the Russian and the English terms are much too long to pronounce quickly.) Incredibly types people.For the last 2 days, the Russian MCC has been good enough to transfer online shows of radio news about the occasion and connected accounts, to make sure I was actually properly notified. Every specialist that has come on free throw line to explain a method or even an issue has at some factor stretched hellos to me with kind words. Tonight the Russian capcom told our team that because of the wedding of recognition in the United States, all the time folks had been actually delivering flowers and also edging all the wall structures of the United States embassy in Moscow, and this evening they were lighting candlesticks in the road outside the embassy. How the planet has modified.Individuals almost everywhere seem to be to recognize the senselessness and also scary in this particular attack. As well as the enormous reduction. Moscow has managed these sort of problems in the last handful of years along with apartment or condo and also subway battles, so they are as nervous to get rid of this risk as our company are. But all-time low line is actually that there are actually great people everywhere who wish to stay in calmness. I read through that a kid talked to, "United States is therefore great to various other countries, our team always help everyone, exactly how can they despise us a lot?".I really hope the instance of cooperation as well as leave that this space probe plus all individuals in the program show daily will at some point encourage the remainder of the world to function the same way. They must!However, our team will not be actually flighting over the US while folks are actually igniting candles. Do not know if we might observe that anyhow. Our experts did, nevertheless, see a really uncommon and beautiful attraction a handful of minutes ago: the launch of our Docking Compartment on a Soyuz booster. Our team were actually surpassing it as well as it appeared concerning three minutes after its launch from Baikonur as the sun attacked our terminal, so it was actually still in the dark. It appeared like a huge comet along with a directly, large tail silhouetted versus the black world beneath. Despite some poor illumination for some time as the sunshine hit our window at a low viewpoint, I dealt with some video clip of it as to begin with our experts passed the spacecraft, and then watched it begin to catch up as it got altitude and rate. I shot up until primary motor deadline as well as booster splitting up took place equally as our company approached sunup on the Himalayas. An extraordinary sight in an unforgettable full week ...Lifestyle happens, also precede. Our experts're listed here to stay ... Frank.