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Remembering Sept. 11

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 to remember.

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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 to remember. In addition to honoring the Americans who died that day, NASA supported FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) in New York in the days that followed and honored the victims by providing their families with flags flown aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

The smoke seemed to have an odd bloom to it at the base of the column that was streaming south of the city. 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… ”

FRANK CULBERTSON

Retired NASA Astronaut, the only American not on the planet during the Sept. 11 attacks

Expedition 3 Commander Frank Culbertson was aboard the International Space Station at the time of the attacks, and was the only American on the crew. As soon as he learned what had happened, he began documenting the scene in photographs as the station passed over the New York City area. Culbertson captured remarkable images in the minutes and hours that followed. From his unique vantage point in space, he recorded his thoughts as he watched the world change beneath him.

The following day, Culbertson posted a public letter reflecting on his immediate thoughts as the events unfolded. “The world changed today. What I say or do is very minor compared to the significance of what happened to our country today when it was attacked.” Later, he added, “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 the earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are.”

Culbertson’s letter reflecting the events of Sept. 11, 2001

Visible from space, a plume of smoke rises over Manhattan after two planes struck the World Trade Center towers. This image shows metropolitan New York City—and parts of New Jersey—on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

NASA

Chapter 1

NASA Science Monitors Air

NASA science programs were called into action after Sept. 11, 2001. Working with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the agency flew sensors over the affected areas to detect airborne contaminants and used satellite assets to monitor conditions from above.

Visible from space, a plume of smoke rises over Manhattan after two planes struck the World Trade Center towers. This image shows metropolitan New York City—and parts of New Jersey—on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

NASA

NASA astronauts Mark E. Kelly (left) and Daniel M. Tani hold a bag of several American flags on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The flags carried on the shuttle include 6,000 small U.S. flags, one U.S. flag that was recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center, a Marine Corps flag that was retrieved from the Pentagon, and an American flag from the State of Pennsylvania.

NASA

Chapter 2

Flags for Heroes and Families

NASA flew nearly 6,000 4-by-6-inch American flags aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS‑108 mission to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Students working out of Johnson Space Center in Houston assembled commemorative packages that included the space‑flown flags, which were then presented to victims’ families. Distribution began on June 14, 2002—National Flag Day—during a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York.

NASA astronauts Mark E. Kelly (left) and Daniel M. Tani hold a bag of several American flags on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The flags carried on the shuttle include 6,000 small U.S. flags, one U.S. flag that was recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center, a Marine Corps flag that was retrieved from the Pentagon, and an American flag from the State of Pennsylvania.

NASA

The “Flags for Heroes and Families” campaign is a way for us to honor and show our support for the thousands of brave men and women who have selflessly contributed to the relief and recovery efforts. The American flags are a patriotic symbol of our strength and solidarity, and our Nation’s resolve to prevail… NASA wanted to come up with an appropriate tribute to the people who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11. America’s space program has a long history of carrying items into space to commemorate historic events, acts of courage, and dramatic achievements. “Flags for Heroes and Families” is a natural extension of this ongoing outreach project.”

DAN GOLDIN

NASA Administrator, 1992–2001

The piece of metal with the American flag on it in this image of a NASA rover on Mars is made of aluminum recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers in the weeks after their destruction.

This image shows an American flag printed on a piece of metal recovered from the World Trade Center site shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. NASA captured the photo on Mars exactly ten years later, on September 11, 2011. The aluminum part bearing the flag serves as a cable guard on a tool aboard NASA’s Mars Exploration rover.

NASA

Chapter 3

Commemoration Goes to Mars

In September 2001, employees at Honeybee Robotics in lower Manhattan were building a pair of tools designed to grind away the weathered surfaces of Martian rocks, allowing NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity to study their interiors.

Despite the tragedy, work on the rock abrasion tools had to stay on schedule so the instruments could be thoroughly tested before launch dates fixed by planetary alignment. The engineers had little time to assist at shelters or help in other ways, but they found a meaningful way to honor the thousands who were lost on Sept. 11.

Each rock abrasion tool carried an aluminum cuff that served as a cable shield, made from aluminum recovered from the World Trade Center towers. The metal, engraved with an American flag, served a renewed purpose as part of solar system exploration. Now that both rovers have fallen silent in the cold, dry Martian environment, these onboard memorials to the victims of Sept. 11 may remain preserved for millions of years.

The piece of metal with the American flag on it in this image of a NASA rover on Mars is made of aluminum recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers in the weeks after their destruction.

This image shows an American flag printed on a piece of metal recovered from the World Trade Center site shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. NASA captured the photo on Mars exactly ten years later, on September 11, 2011. The aluminum part bearing the flag serves as a cable guard on a tool aboard NASA’s Mars Exploration rover.

NASA

The National 9/11 Flag is raised over the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The contributions of NASA, Kennedy Space Center, and the state of Florida were stitched into the fabric of the American Flag, which was recovered near ground zero following the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

NASA/Kim Shiflett

Chapter 4

NASA Adds Florida Touch

The contributions of NASA and Kennedy Space Center in Florida became part of one of the nation’s most recognizable symbols when flags from Florida’s Spaceport were sewn into an American flag recovered near ground zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The National 9/11 Flag went on to become one of the most enduring symbols of recovery. Today, it is a permanent part of the collection at the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center site, where it continues to evoke pride, unity, and a commitment to striving for greatness—much like the nation’s space program has for more than half a century.

The National 9/11 Flag is raised over the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The contributions of NASA, Kennedy Space Center, and the state of Florida were stitched into the fabric of the American Flag, which was recovered near ground zero following the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

NASA/Kim Shiflett

A few days after the collapse of the World Trade Center this flag was hanging on a scaffolding at 90 West Street, which was a building directly south of the World Trade Center that was heavily damaged when the south tower collapsed.”

JEFF PARNESS

Director, Founder and Chairman, New York Says Thank You Foundation

Featured Video

Frank Culbertson Remembers Sept. 11

In this 2013 interview, retired NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson said it’s important for people to continue learning the lessons of Sept. 11 and work toward becoming a better nation. Culbertson was aboard the International Space Station during the attacks, making him the only American off the planet at that moment. From orbit, he captured striking images of New York City in the minutes and hours that followed.