.Publisher's Note: The complying with is the text message of a letter coming from Trip Three Leader Frank L. Culbertson (Leader, USN Resigned), assessing the occasions of September 11.September 12, 2001 7:34 p.m.I have not created significantly about specifics of this particular mission during the course of the month I have actually been actually listed below, generally for two main reasons: the 1st being actually that there has actually been actually incredibly little opportunity to do that kind of writing, as well as the second thing is because I am actually unsure exactly how relaxed I am discussing notions I show family and friends along with the remainder of the globe.Well, clearly the globe modified today. What I say or do is actually very slight reviewed to the significance of what took place to our nation today when it was attacked through ... by whom? Terrorists is all we know, I guess. Hard to know at whom to point our temper as well as anxiety ...I had just completed a number of duties today, one of the most lengthy being actually the physical examinations of all staff participants. In a private talk adhering to that, the air travel doctor told me they were actually having a very poor day on the ground. I had no tip ...He described the situation to me as greatest he knew it at ~ 0900 CDT. I was overwhelmed, then alarmed. My 1st thought was actually that this had not been a real talk, that I was actually still listening closely to among my Tom Clancy strips. It only really did not appear achievable on this incrustation in our country. I couldn't even imagine the details, also prior to the information of additional destruction started being available in.Vladimir came by quite quickly, noticing that one thing extremely severe was actually being actually reviewed. I swayed Michael right into the element also. They were also impressed and stunned. After our team signed off, I made an effort to reveal to Vladimir and Michael as greatest I could the prospective enormity of this particular act of fear in midtown Manhattan and also at the Pentagon. They plainly comprehended and were incredibly compassionate.I browsed the Planet Map on the computer system to see where over the globe our company were and saw that our company were coming southeast away from Canada and would be actually passing over New England in a few minutes. I zipped around the terminal until I located a window that would give me a perspective of New York City as well as grabbed the nearby camera. It happened to be a camera, as well as I was actually looking south from the window of Michael's cabin.The smoke cigarettes seemed to have a weird bloom to it at the bottom of the column that was streaming south of the urban area. After going through among the news articles our company simply received, I feel our company were looking at NY around the moment of, or quickly after, the collapse of the 2nd high rise. How terrible ...I panned the electronic camera during the East Coastline to the south to view if I can view any other smoke around Washington, or even anywhere else, yet nothing at all was visible.It was pretty challenging to consider work afterwards, though our company had some to perform, however on the upcoming orbit our company went across the US more southern. All three people were working a couple of cameras to try to get scenery of New york city or Washington. There was actually haze over Washington, yet no certain resource might be found. It all looked extraordinary from two to three hundred miles away. I can not think of the tragic settings on the ground.Other than the psychological impact of our nation being actually attacked and thousands of our citizens and perhaps some good friends being actually killed, the most mind-boggling feeling being actually where I am actually is among solitude.Upcoming day ... I presume the exhaustion as well as emotional stress obtained the greatest of me. I could not keep awake and also continue to create. Today was still difficult, however our company started acquiring even more details, plus we possessed the honor of talking straight with the Facility Supervisor, Roy Estess, that ensured our team that the ground staffs would continue to function as well as guarantee our safety and security, in addition to the risk-free function of the Place. Our experts likewise heard from our Administrator, Mr. Goldin, that included that the companions in the System are all absolutely committed to continuing risk-free operations as well as support. These were never questions for me. I know all these folks! The ground crews have been unbelievably supporting, really understanding of the influence of the headlines, and have actually made an effort to be as helpful as possible. They have all been actually quite qualified and centered though I can not imagine the diversion of the sort of news coming in as well as the idea that government properties could be in jeopardy. They never ever missed a beat, even when moving control centers. And also a team of elderly employees and also buddies gave us a pretty detailed instruction on what was recognized and also what was actually being actually performed in the government and at NASA on Tuesday afternoon, which was very handy and sort of all of them to accomplish in the middle of all the turmoil. The Russian TsUP has additionally been actually supporting and useful, making an effort to uplink newspaper article when our own assets were inoperable, as well as saying kind phrases ...My crewmates have actually been actually excellent, also. They know it is actually been actually a challenging day for me as well as the individuals on the ground, and they have actually attempted to become as even keeled as well as valuable as achievable. Michael even fixed me my preferred Borscht soup for supper. As well as they give me loads of space to presume when I required it. They are actually very considerate and also of course outraged at whoever will perform this.I understand so many individuals in Washington, so many individuals who travel to DC and also New York City, so many who are flies, that I experienced sure I would certainly obtain at least a handful of items of trouble over the following few times. I acquired the 1st one today when I learned that the Captain of the American Airlines jet that hit the Pentagon was Chic Burlingame, a schoolmate of mine. I encountered Chic in the course of cadet summer when our experts were in the D&B with each other, as well as our experts possessed bunches of classes together. I can't envision what he should of experienced, and also right now I listen to that he may possess increased better than our team can even consider by potentially avoiding his aircraft coming from being actually the one to tackle the White Property. What an awful loss, however I make certain Chic was battling fearlessly to the end. As well as splits don't stream the exact same precede ...It's hard to illustrate just how it experiences to be the only United States fully off the world each time like this. The sensation that I need to exist with every one of you, coping with this, assisting in some way, is difficult. I know that we perform the threshold (or past) of a terrible shift in the past history of the globe. Several points will certainly certainly never be the same once again after September 11, 2001. Certainly not only for the thousands and also thousands of individuals straight influenced by these hideous process of violence, yet probably for everybody. We are going to locate our own selves really feeling in different ways about lots of factors, consisting of possibly area exploration, regrettably.It is actually horrible to find smoke putting from injuries in your very own country from such a fantastic angle. The duality of performing a space capsule devoted to strengthening life on the earth and also viewing life being ruined through such planned, terrible process is jolting to the psyche, no matter that you are. And also the understanding that everything will definitely be various than when our company introduced by the time we land is actually a little disconcerting. I have confidence in our country as well as in our management that our team will certainly do whatever possible to much better safeguard her and also our households, and also to deliver fair treatment wherefore has been carried out. I have assurance that the great people at NASA will definitely do every thing important to proceed our purpose properly and return our company securely at the correct time. And also I miss every one of you quite. I can not be there along with you personally, as well as our team have a very long way to head to accomplish our purpose, but be actually particular that my center is actually with you, as well as know you reside in my requests.Humbly, Frank.September 14, 2001 10:49 p.m. An improve to the last character ... Thankfully, it's been actually an occupied full week up listed here. And to show that, like our country, our team are continuing on our intended course along with business as usual (as much as achievable). Tonight the most up to date enhancement to the place, the Russian Docking Compartment will be launched coming from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. On Sunday night (US time), it will certainly dock with us, at a port certainly never used prior to on the low point edge of the Solution Component. This new module is going to give our company yet another place to dock a Development or Soyuz and also are going to deliver a large airlock with pair of able to be used hatches for conducting EVA's in Russian Orlan fits, which our experts will perform a few of just before our company get back.The complication just before in dealing with today was actually insufficient news. The trouble now is actually too much. It arrived simultaneously when e-mail was rejuvenated, as well as there is actually not nearly enough time to read it all! Plus it is actually as well challenging to handle all of it at once. Yet I appreciate receiving it, as well as I really appreciate the wonderful letters of help as well as relationship I am obtaining.Our team are actually succeeding on board, receiving our job done, and referring to factors. Final night our experts had a long discussion over supper about the importance of these occasions, the possible activities to follow, and also what need to be actually done. After supper, Michael challenged telling me that every e-mail he acquired from friends in Russia claimed primarily to tell me exactly how sorry they were actually that this occurred, stretching their acknowledgements, and asking just how I was performing. Vladimir showed me the Russian term for "acknowledgements" after consulting with the previous CDR, Yuri Usachev, on the phone in Celebrity Area. (Both the Russian and the English words are actually much very lengthy to articulate quickly.) Extremely type individuals.For the last pair of days, the Russian MCC has sufficed to transfer live programs of broadcast information concerning the celebration as well as linked accounts, to make sure I was properly notified. Every specialist that has begun free throw line to discuss a procedure or even a problem has at some aspect extended greetings to me along with kind phrases. Tonight the Russian capcom told our company that as a result of the wedding day of recognition in the US, all the time people had actually been bringing flowers and also lining all the walls of the US consular office in Moscow, and this night they were igniting candlesticks in the street outside the consular office. How the globe has transformed.Folks anywhere seem to acknowledge the senselessness as well as terror in this particular assault. And the remarkable reduction. Moscow has handled these kind of issues in the last few years along with apartment and metro battles, so they are as distressed to eliminate this risk as our team are. However the bottom product line is actually that there are actually excellent folks almost everywhere that wish to live in tranquility. I check out that a child talked to, "America is so excellent to other countries, our company regularly help every person, exactly how can they despise our company so much?".I really hope the instance of participation and count on that this space probe plus all individuals in the plan show daily are going to someday influence the rest of the planet to work the same way. They must!Regrettably, our team will not be actually flying over the United States while people are actually lighting candlesticks. Don't understand if our experts could possibly find that anyhow. We did, however, see a quite unusual and also gorgeous sight a couple of moments ago: the launch of our Docking Chamber on a Soyuz enhancer. Our team were surpassing it as well as it appeared concerning 3 minutes after its own launch coming from Baikonur as the sunshine reached our station, so it was still unaware. It looked like a sizable comet with a directly, vast rear silhouetted versus the darker world under. Regardless of some bad lights for a while as the sunshine reached our home window at a reduced viewpoint, I took care of some video recording of it as first our company passed the spacecraft, and afterwards saw it start to mesmerize as it obtained altitude and also velocity. I shot till principal motor deadline and also enhancer splitting up occurred equally as our experts approached daybreak on the Himalayas. A remarkable attraction in a remarkable full week ...Life happens, also in space. Our company are actually listed here to remain ... Frank.