9/11 Attacks as Seen from Space: NASA Video Made Public

by NowPublic Staff | September 8, 2011 at 03:17 pm

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Astronaut Mike Culbertson on September 11, 2001: 'New York Still Looks Beautiful from Up Here'

For the first time, NASA has released video footage of the September 11 attacks as seen from the International Space Station. Culbertson was the only American not on Earth during 9/11.

Astronaut Mike Culbertson and cosmonauts Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir Dezhurov witnessed the attacks from an unusual vantage point. Culbertson said that he had been reading a Tom Clancy novel at the time, and felt like he had been sucked into a spy story.

The following day, Culbertson wrote down his thoughts on the attacks, and on the ISS crew's unique vantage point.

It was pretty difficult to think about work after that, though we had some to do, but on the next orbit we crossed the US further south. All three of us were working one or two cameras to try to get views of New York or Washington. There was haze over Washington, but no specific source could be seen. It all looked incredible from two to three hundred miles away. I can't imagine the tragic scenes on the ground.

Other than the emotional impact of our country being attacked and thousands of our citizens and maybe some friends being killed, the most overwhelming feeling being where I am is one of isolation.

You can see NASA's 9/11 footage below.