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20 years after the September 11 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 men, women and children, NASA is remembering the day, sharing images and memories.
In a satellite image provided by the agency, billowing smoke over the Manhattan area can be seen from space after two of the hijacked planes crashed into the towers of New York City's World Trade Center.
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"The
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were a national tragedy that resulted in a
staggering loss of life and a significant change in American culture.
Each year, we pause and never forget. Beyond remembering and honoring
the Americans who died that day, NASA also assisted FEMA in New York in
the days afterward, and remembered the victims by providing flags flown
aboard the Space Shuttle to their families," NASA wrote in a release.
NASA
also shared the words of astronaut Frank Culbertson, who was aboard the
International Space Station (ISS) at the time of the attacks and the
only American on the crew.
Visible from space, a smoke plume rises from the Manhattan area
after two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. This
photo was taken of metropolitan New York City (and other parts of New
York as well as New Jersey) the morning of September 11, 2001. "Our
prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there, and everywhere
else," said Station Commander Frank Culbertson of Expedition 3, after
the terrorists' attacks.
(Credits: NASA)
He began documenting the event in photographs as the station flew over the New York City area.
"The
smoke seemed to have an odd bloom to it at the base of the column that
was streaming south of the city," Culbertson wrote in a post at the time
of the attack. After reading one of the news articles we just received,
I believe we were looking at [New York] around the time of, or shortly
after, the collapse of the second tower. How horrible…"
"It's
horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a
fantastic vantage point," he said. "The dichotomy of being on a
spacecraft dedicated to improving life on the earth and watching life
being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche,
no matter who you are."
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NASA noted that, after the attack, its science programs were "called into action" as the agency worked with FEMA
to fly sensors over the affected areas on aircraft – looking for aerial
contaminants – and used satellite resources to monitor from above.
To
remember the day, NASA flew nearly 6,000 4-by-6 inch flags on
Endeavour's December 2001 flight to honor the victims. The flags were
later distributed to relatives in the summer of 2002.
In
addition, NASA used aluminum recovered from the destroyed World Trade
Center towers – with the image of an American flag – on rock abrasion
tools for the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
The National 9/11 Flag was raised over the Rocket Garden at the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex after Florida's contribution was
added.
(Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett)
"One
day, both rovers will be silent. In the cold, dry environments where
they have worked on Mars, the onboard memorials to victims of the Sept.
11 attack could remain in good condition for millions of years," NASA
wrote.
Lastly, in 2011, flags from Florida's Spaceport were sewn into an American Flag – known as "The National 9/11 Flag" – that was recovered near ground zero following the attacks.
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