.Editor's Note: The adhering to is actually the content of a letter from Expedition Three Commander Frank L. Culbertson (Captain, USN Resigned), reassessing the occasions of September 11.September 12, 2001 7:34 p.m.I haven't composed very much regarding specifics of the mission in the course of the month I've been right here, mostly for pair of factors: the first being that there has been extremely little opportunity to perform that type of writing, and also furthermore, due to the fact that I am actually not exactly sure just how comfortable I am sharing thought and feelings I share with friends and family with the remainder of the planet.Well, undoubtedly the globe modified today. What I state or perform is actually really small reviewed to the importance of what occurred to our country today when it was assaulted through ... by whom? Terrorists is all we know, I guess. Hard to understand at whom to guide our anger and also worry ...I had actually only ended up a variety of jobs today, the best taxing being the physical exams of all workers participants. In an exclusive conversation adhering to that, the tour plastic surgeon told me they were possessing a really negative day on the ground. I had no idea ...He explained the scenario to me as absolute best he knew it at ~ 0900 CDT. I was actually astonished, at that point horrified. My 1st idea was that this wasn't a true talk, that I was still listening to one of my Tom Clancy tapes. It only didn't seem achievable on this incrustation in our country. I couldn't even visualize the details, also prior to the updates of further damage began can be found in.Vladimir came over rather rapidly, sensing that one thing quite major was actually being discussed. I waved Michael in to the element also. They were also impressed and stunned. After our experts authorized off, I tried to clarify to Vladimir as well as Michael as greatest I might the possible enormity of this act of terror in downtown New york as well as at the Government. They clearly comprehended and also were actually quite supportive.I eyed the Planet Map on the pc to observe where over the world our company were and noticed that our team were actually coming southeast out of Canada as well as would be actually passing over New England in a couple of mins. I zoomed around the terminal up until I found a home window that would give me a perspective of NYC as well as grabbed the nearest camera. It happened to become a camera, and I was actually appearing southern coming from the home window of Michael's log cabin.The smoke cigarettes appeared to have a weird blossom to it at the base of the pillar that was streaming south of the city. After reading some of the newspaper article we just acquired, I feel we were actually looking at NY around the moment of, or even not long after, the collapse of the second tower. How terrible ...I scanned the cam all along the East Coastline to the south to observe if I can see every other smoke around Washington, or anywhere else, but nothing was visible.It was fairly hard to deal with work after that, though our team possessed some to do, however on the following orbit our team moved across the United States additional south. All 3 of us were actually operating a couple of video cameras to attempt to obtain viewpoints of Nyc or even Washington. There was haze over Washington, but no details source may be seen. Everything appeared fabulous coming from 2 to 3 hundred miles away. I can't picture the unfortunate settings on the ground.Apart from the mental influence of our country being actually attacked and countless our citizens and also perhaps some friends being actually killed, the best frustrating sensation being where I am actually is one of isolation.Following day ... I presume the exhaustion and mental tension acquired the best of me. I couldn't keep awake and remain to write. Today was actually still tough, but we began receiving more relevant information, plus our experts had the honor of chatting straight along with the Facility Supervisor, Roy Estess, who assured our team that the ground teams would continue to work and ensure our protection, as well as the risk-free function of the Place. Our experts likewise learnt through our Manager, Mr. Goldin, that included that the partners in the Plan are actually all totally dedicated to proceeding risk-free operations as well as support. These were actually certainly never questions for me. I know all these folks! The ground teams have actually been very helpful, very understanding of the influence of the news, as well as have attempted to become as handy as possible. They have all been actually incredibly specialist and focused though I can not picture the distraction of this kind of information can be found in as well as the thought that authorities properties could be in danger. They never ever skipped a beat, also when transferring control centers. And a group of senior workers and also buddies offered our team a rather extensive instruction about what was actually known and also what was actually being actually performed in the federal government and at NASA on Tuesday afternoon, which was actually very beneficial and also type of them to perform in the midst of all the distress. The Russian TsUP has actually likewise been actually supportive and also handy, making an effort to uplink news articles when our own possessions were inoperable, as well as saying kind phrases ...My crewmates have been actually fantastic, also. They understand it is actually been a challenging time for me and also the folks on the ground, and also they have actually tried to become as also keeled and useful as feasible. Michael even corrected me my beloved Borscht soup for dinner. And also they offer me lots of area to think when I required it. They are actually quite sympathetic and also of course outraged at whoever will perform this.I know a lot of people in Washington, many individuals that travel to DC as well as New York City, plenty of that are flies, that I really felt certain I will get a minimum of a handful of parts of bad news over the upcoming handful of days. I received the 1st one today when I found out that the Leader of the American Airlines plane that attacked the Pentagon was actually Chic Burlingame, a friend of mine. I came across Chic during the course of cadet summer when our experts were in the D&B together, and also we possessed lots of lessons with each other. I can't visualize what he should of gone through, and currently I hear that he might have climbed further than our team can even consider by possibly stopping his plane from being the one to deal with the White Home. What a horrendous loss, however I ensure Chic was actually battling fearlessly to the end. As well as splits don't move the exact same in space ...It is actually challenging to illustrate just how it experiences to be the only United States totally off the world at a time including this. The feeling that I must exist with each one of you, handling this, helping in some way, is overwhelming. I know that we are on the limit (or even beyond) of a horrible change in the past history of the planet. Numerous traits will definitely never be the same again after September 11, 2001. Certainly not merely for the thousands as well as countless folks directly had an effect on by these ghastly process of terrorism, however probably for everyone. Our company will discover ourselves experiencing differently about loads of points, featuring possibly area expedition, unfortunately.It is actually dreadful to see smoke cigarettes pouring coming from wounds in your own nation coming from such a great point of view. The duality of being on a space probe devoted to strengthening daily life on the earth and watching life being actually damaged by such premeditated, dreadful process is actually jolting to the psyche, regardless of who you are actually. As well as the know-how that every thing will certainly be actually various than when our company launched due to the time our experts land is actually a little bit of disconcerting. I have confidence in our nation and also in our management that our company will certainly carry out every little thing feasible to better safeguard her and also our loved ones, as well as to bring compensation for what has been actually carried out. I possess confidence that the really good individuals at NASA are going to carry out every little thing required to proceed our objective properly and also return us securely at the right time. And also I overlook each one of you very much. I can not exist with you personally, as well as our company have a long way to go to finish our mission, but be actually particular that my center is actually along with you, as well as recognize you are in my petitions.Submissively, Frank.September 14, 2001 10:49 p.m. An update to the final letter ... Fortunately, it is actually been actually a hectic full week up listed below. And also to show that, like our nation, our experts are actually continuing on our intended course with service as usual (as much as feasible). Tonight the most recent add-on to the place, the Russian Docking Chamber will certainly be launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. On Sunday night (US time), it will certainly dock with us, at a slot never used just before on the low point side of the Service Component. This brand-new element will definitely provide us yet another place to dock a Development or Soyuz and will certainly provide a sizable airlock along with 2 able to be used hatches for administering EVA's in Russian Orlan matches, which our experts will definitely carry out a few of prior to our team return.The concern prior to in dealing with recently was insufficient updates. The problem today is too much. It arrived at one time when e-mail was actually restored, and there's not nearly enough opportunity to review all of it! Plus it's also difficult to cope with all of it simultaneously. But I value getting it, as well as I definitely appreciate the fantastic letters of assistance as well as friendship I am actually getting.Our company are prospering on board, acquiring our work done, and discussing things. Last night our team had a lengthy dialogue over dinner about the significance of these celebrations, the feasible actions to comply with, as well as what must be actually performed. After supper, Michael made a point of telling me that every email he acquired from friends in Russia mentioned particularly to inform me exactly how regretful they were actually that this occurred, extending their acknowledgements, and talking to just how I was doing. Vladimir taught me the Russian term for "acknowledgements" after talking to the previous CDR, Yuri Usachev, on the phone in Superstar Metropolitan area. (Both the Russian as well as the English words are actually much extremely long to articulate simply.) Quite kind individuals.For the final pair of times, the Russian MCC has actually been good enough to transmit live shows of broadcast news about the activity and also connected tales, to make certain I was effectively updated. Every professional who has actually come on the line to talk about a method or a complication has at some point prolonged greetings to me with kind phrases. Tonight the Russian capcom informed our company that as a result of the big day of recognition in the United States, all the time folks had been bringing flowers as well as lining all the wall structures of the United States embassy in Moscow, and this night they were igniting candlesticks in the street outside the consular office. Just how the globe has actually changed.Individuals anywhere appear to identify the senselessness and horror within this assault. As well as the remarkable reduction. Moscow has actually dealt with these kind of problems in the last handful of years along with flat as well as metro bombings, so they are actually as restless to get rid of this hazard as we are actually. Yet the bottom collection is actually that there are actually good folks almost everywhere that want to reside in calmness. I review that a child asked, "The United States is therefore excellent to various other countries, our company always aid everybody, how can they dislike us a lot?".I hope the example of cooperation as well as rely on that this spacecraft plus all individuals in the system demonstrate daily are going to at some point inspire the rest of the globe to operate similarly. They must!Regrettably, our team will not be actually taking flight over the US while people are igniting candlesticks. Don't recognize if our team might observe that anyway. Our team performed, nevertheless, find an extremely uncommon and also attractive view a few moments ago: the launch of our Docking Area on a Soyuz enhancer. Our team were actually surpassing it as well as it came into view regarding three minutes after its own launch coming from Baikonur as the sunshine hit our terminal, so it was still unaware. It looked like a huge comet along with a straight, vast rear silhouetted versus the darker world below. Even with some poor lights for some time as the sunlight reached our home window at a low perspective, I handled some online video of it as initially our company passed the spacecraft, and after that viewed it start to catch up as it got altitude as well as rate. I filmed till primary motor cutoff as well as booster splitting up took place just like our company moved toward sunup on the Mountain ranges. An unforgettable sight in a remarkable week ...Lifestyle takes place, even precede. Our experts're right here to remain ... Frank.