SPACE.com -- Station Commander Knew Pilot of Hijacked Plane

The blazing wreckage of downtown New York stands out like a bright star in the center of this nighttime video frame, photographed by Expedition 3 crewman Frank Culbertson aboard Space Station Alpha.

Looking south along the East Coast, a smoke plume marks the downtown area of Manhattan. Videotaped by ISS crewman Frank Culbertson.

Seen from orbit, the smoke column rising from the ruins of the World Trade Center stretch across Long Island and out over the Atlantic.

The ISS Expedition 3 Crew captured this close up image of the New York City attack aftermath.

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	Station Commander Knew Pilot of Hijacked Plane By Todd Halvorson Cape Canaveral Bureau Chief posted: 07:03 am ET 17 October 2001

That feeling of separation from the rest of the human species was one that carried over to the following day, the same one upon which he learned that his classmate had been piloting one of the commercial airliners.

And that day, Culbertson – a retired navy captain, a former military test pilot and a two-time shuttle mission veteran -- also felt completely and utterly unable to help.

"It’s difficult to describe how it feels to be the only American completely off the planet at a time such as this. The feeling that I should be there with all of you, dealing with this, helping in some way, is overwhelming," Culbertson wrote.

Onboard the station since Aug. 10, Culbertson and his Russian colleagues are in the midst of a four-month research tour aboard the international station, one that will stretch out until shuttle Endeavour launches Nov. 29 and then returns to Earth Dec. 10 with the Expedition Three crew in tow. And without a doubt, things will be different when the trio sets foot back on terra firma.

"I know that we are on the threshold (or beyond) a terrible shift in the history of the world. Many things will be never be the same again after September 11, 2001. Not just for the thousands and thousands of people directly affected by these horrendous acts of terrorism, but probably for all of us. We will find ourselves feeling differently about dozens of things, including probably space exploration, unfortunately," Culbertson said.

For Culbertson, the entire situation just seemed very, very strange, especially for one watching on from the station’s peaceful perch in low Earth orbit.

"It’s horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a fantastic vantage point. The dichotomy of being on a spacecraft dedicated to improving life on Earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are," Culbertson said.

"And the knowledge that everything will be different than when we launched by the time we land is a little disconcerting."

The very next day, however, Culbertson saw a glimmer of hope -- a Russian rocket streaking through the sky, headed toward the station with a Russian airlock that will serve as a staging arena for future outpost construction.

"It came into view about three minutes after its launch from Baikonur (Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan) as the sun hit our station, so it was still dark. It looked like a large comet with a straight, wide tail silhouetted against the dark planet beneath," Culbertson wrote.

"An unforgettable sight in an unforgettable week," he added. "Life goes on, even in space. We’re here to stay."

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