.Editor's Note: The complying with is actually the text message of a letter from Exploration Three Commander Frank L. Culbertson (Leader, USN Retired), reassessing the activities of September 11.September 12, 2001 7:34 p.m.I have not composed significantly regarding specifics of this goal throughout the month I've been below, mostly for pair of factors: the very first being actually that there has been extremely little time to perform that type of composing, as well as furthermore, considering that I'm uncertain just how relaxed I am discussing notions I share with family and friends along with the remainder of the world.Well, undoubtedly the globe transformed today. What I claim or even carry out is actually quite slight reviewed to the implication of what took place to our country today when it was actually assaulted through ... through whom? Revolutionaries is all we understand, I think. Hard to recognize at whom to guide our rage and also anxiety ...I had actually only ended up an amount of activities today, the best lengthy being the physical examinations of all staff members. In a personal talk adhering to that, the flight specialist told me they were possessing a really bad day on the ground. I had no suggestion ...He explained the circumstance to me as greatest he knew it at ~ 0900 CDT. I was overwhelmed, at that point terrified. My initial notion was actually that this had not been a genuine chat, that I was actually still listening to one of my Tom Clancy strips. It only didn't seem possible on this scale in our country. I could not also visualize the details, even before the news of further damage started can be found in.Vladimir came by fairly quickly, picking up that something really major was actually being actually covered. I waved Michael in to the module also. They were actually also surprised and also stunned. After our company signed off, I made an effort to clarify to Vladimir and Michael as finest I could the prospective enormity of this act of fear in downtown Manhattan and at the Pentagon. They plainly knew and also were actually very understanding.I eyed the Globe Map on the computer to see where over the planet our team were actually as well as observed that our team were coming southeast out of Canada and also would certainly be overlooking New England in a few mins. I zoomed around the station until I found a window that will give me a scenery of New York City as well as got the nearby cam. It happened to be a camera, and also I was actually appearing south from the home window of Michael's cabin.The smoke appeared to possess a strange flower to it at the base of the pillar that was streaming south of the city. After reading among the newspaper article our team just acquired, I think we were checking out NY around the amount of time of, or even not long after, the crash of the second high rise. Just how dreadful ...I panned the camera all along the East Shoreline to the south to see if I might observe every other smoke around Washington, or anywhere else, yet absolutely nothing was visible.It was fairly complicated to think about job after that, though our company possessed some to carry out, yet on the following orbit our team moved across the US further southern. All three people were functioning one or two electronic cameras to attempt to receive viewpoints of The big apple or Washington. There was actually haze over Washington, but no details resource could be observed. All of it appeared amazing from two to three hundred kilometers away. I can not imagine the tragic scenes on the ground.Besides the psychological influence of our country being actually dealt with and also lots of our people and perhaps some good friends being killed, the absolute most overwhelming feeling being actually where I am is among seclusion.Next time ... I suspect the exhaustion and emotional tension got the most effective of me. I couldn't keep awake as well as continue to write. Today was still complicated, yet our team began receiving even more relevant information, plus our experts possessed the tribute of speaking straight with the Facility Director, Roy Estess, that guaranteed us that the ground groups will remain to function and also ensure our protection, along with the risk-free function of the Place. We additionally learnt through our Manager, Mr. Goldin, who incorporated that the companions in the Program are all completely devoted to continuing safe functions and also assistance. These were never ever questions for me. I recognize all these individuals! The ground teams have been extremely supportive, very understanding of the influence of the headlines, as well as have actually made an effort to become as handy as possible. They have actually all been very specialist and also focused though I can't visualize the interruption of this particular type of news being available in and also the thought and feelings that federal government buildings might be in jeopardy. They certainly never bypassed a beat, even when transferring nerve center. And also a group of elderly personnel as well as friends provided our team a pretty comprehensive instruction about what was actually understood and what was actually being actually done in the federal government and also at NASA on Tuesday mid-day, which was actually very handy and also type of all of them to accomplish in the middle of all the chaos. The Russian TsUP has additionally been supporting as well as helpful, making an effort to uplink newspaper article when our personal resources were actually unusable, and also saying kind terms ...My crewmates have actually been actually fantastic, as well. They recognize it is actually been a challenging time for me and also the individuals on the ground, and they have actually tried to become as even keeled and also practical as possible. Michael also repaired me my preferred Borscht soup for dinner. And also they offer me lots of space to presume when I needed it. They are actually incredibly considerate and also naturally shocked at whoever would certainly perform this.I understand many individuals in Washington, many folks who journey to DC as well as New York City, plenty of that are actually flies, that I really felt certain I would certainly receive at the very least a handful of pieces of bad news over the following few times. I obtained the very first one today when I found out that the Leader of the American Airlines plane that hit the Government was actually Chic Burlingame, a classmate of mine. I met Chic during the course of cadet summer season when we remained in the D&B together, as well as we possessed great deals of lessons all together. I can't imagine what he has to of gone through, as well as currently I listen to that he may have climbed even further than we may even consider through possibly avoiding his airplane coming from being the one to attack the White Home. What a dreadful reduction, yet I'm sure Chic was actually combating bravely to the end. And also tears don't move the same precede ...It is actually tough to describe just how it experiences to be the only United States entirely off the earth at once such as this. The emotion that I ought to exist with every one of you, managing this, helping in some way, is actually overwhelming. I know that our team are on the limit (or beyond) of an awful switch in the past of the world. Many points are going to never coincide again after September 11, 2001. Certainly not only for the 1000s and 1000s of people straight had an effect on through these ghastly acts of violence, but perhaps for all of us. Our team will certainly find ourselves experiencing in different ways concerning dozens of things, including most likely room expedition, regrettably.It's horrible to find smoke putting coming from injuries in your very own country from such a superb perspective. The duality of performing a space capsule devoted to improving live on the planet and also enjoying lifestyle being actually damaged through such willful, awful process is jolting to the mind, no matter who you are actually. And also the understanding that whatever are going to be various than when our experts introduced due to the opportunity our company land is a little bit of disconcerting. I believe in our nation as well as in our leadership that our company will definitely carry out every little thing achievable to far better protect her and also our households, as well as to carry justice for what has been actually done. I possess assurance that the good folks at NASA will certainly perform whatever essential to continue our goal safely and securely as well as return us securely at the right time. And I miss each one of you quite. I can't be there along with you face to face, and our company possess a very long way to go to complete our purpose, but be particular that my soul is along with you, as well as understand you remain in my prayers.Humbly, Frank.September 14, 2001 10:49 p.m. An improve to the last character ... Fortunately, it is actually been an occupied week up listed here. And also to show that, like our nation, our team are actually advancing our planned road along with company customarily (as high as possible). Tonight the latest enhancement to the place, the Russian Docking Compartment will be actually introduced coming from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. On Saturday night (United States opportunity), it is going to dock with our team, at a slot certainly never used prior to on the low point side of the Company Component. This brand-new module is going to provide our team an additional area to dock a Progression or Soyuz and also will certainly deliver a large airlock with pair of able to be used hatches for performing EVA's in Russian Orlan matches, which our company will carry out a few of prior to our team get back.The complication before in managing this week was actually insufficient headlines. The concern now is actually too much. It arrived simultaneously when email was actually rejuvenated, as well as there's not enough opportunity to read it all! Plus it's as well tough to deal with all of it instantly. But I enjoy obtaining it, and I definitely cherish the wonderful letters of support as well as friendship I am actually obtaining.We are flourishing on board, acquiring our job carried out, and speaking about traits. Last evening our company had a long discussion over supper concerning the implication of these occasions, the feasible actions to adhere to, as well as what should be actually carried out. After supper, Michael challenged telling me that every e-mail he got from pals in Russia said especially to tell me exactly how sorry they were actually that this taken place, prolonging their condolences, and also talking to how I was actually carrying out. Vladimir instructed me the Russian word for "condolences" after speaking with the previous CDR, Yuri Usachev, on the phone in Celebrity Metropolitan area. (Both the Russian and also the English terms are considerably very lengthy to articulate simply.) Extremely kind folks.For the final two days, the Russian MCC has sufficed to transfer real-time broadcasts of radio news concerning the occasion as well as connected tales, to make sure I was actually well informed. Every expert who has actually started the line to talk about an operation or a trouble contends some aspect stretched hellos to me along with kind terms. Tonight the Russian capcom informed our company that because of the wedding of remembrance in the US, throughout the day folks had actually been delivering blooms as well as lining all the wall structures of the US consular office in Moscow, as well as this night they were lighting candlesticks in the street outside the consular office. Exactly how the planet has actually altered.Individuals anywhere seem to identify the senselessness and scary within this strike. And also the enormous loss. Moscow has taken care of these kind of complications in the last couple of years along with condo and also subway bombings, so they are actually as restless to do away with this risk as we are actually. But the bottom series is that there are great people just about everywhere that intend to reside in calmness. I read through that a little one asked, "The United States is actually so excellent to various other nations, our experts consistently help everybody, exactly how can they detest us a lot?".I wish the instance of teamwork and trust fund that this spacecraft and all people in the plan display daily are going to at some point motivate the remainder of the planet to work similarly. They must!However, we won't be actually flighting over the US while folks are lighting candles. Don't understand if our experts might find that anyway. Our experts performed, nevertheless, see an incredibly uncommon and also lovely attraction a couple of mins ago: the launch of our Docking Compartment on a Soyuz booster. Our team were actually eclipsing it as well as it appeared about three minutes after its own launch coming from Baikonur as the sunshine hit our terminal, so it was actually still at night. It looked like a sizable comet along with a straight, broad tail silhouetted against the dark world below. Even with some poor illumination for a while as the sunshine struck our home window at a low perspective, I handled some video clip of it as first our company passed the spacecraft, and afterwards viewed it start to mesmerize as it got altitude and also rate. I shot till main engine cutoff and booster splitting up occurred just as our company came close to sunrise on the Himalayas. An extraordinary attraction in an extraordinary full week ...Lifestyle takes place, also precede. Our company are actually listed below to remain ... Frank.