9/11 attacks: NASA shares the photo astronaut took of New York City from space

Frank Culbertson, the photographer, who was on board at the ISS, said it was a jolt to have to witness life being destroyed from a spacecraft dedicated to improving life. (Image credit: NASA)

The United States on Sunday marked the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with memorial events. On the solemn occasion, NASA shared a photo one its astronauts took of New York City from space, after hijacked planes crashed into the city's iconic twin towers.

The picture, taken by Astronaut Frank Culbertson, who was aboard the International Space Station, showed plumes of smoke emerging from Manhattan in New York.

Culbertson later recounted that the smoke he captured on camera appeared to have an "odd bloom" to it.

"After reading one of the news articles we just received, I believe we were looking at NY around the time of, or shortly after, the collapse of the second tower," Culbertson was quoted as saying by NASA. "How horrible."

On September 11, 2001, @NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson took this photo from the ISS of smoke rising from the Twin Towers in New York City. On this 21st anniversary of that terrible day, we honor the victims and heroes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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More: https://t.co/MpwLNcPoHq pic.twitter.com/gPg5vX06SM

— NASA History Office (@NASAhistory) September 11, 2022

In poignant words, the astronaut also reflected on how it felt to look at an unfolding tragedy from 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," he added.

On September 11, 2001, the Al-Qaeda group carried out coordinated terror attacks in the US, which led to the deaths of 3,000 people.

The group hijacked four planes. Two of them struck the Twin Towers and the third hit the Pentagon building in Washington, DC. The fourth plane was on its way to attack the Capitol but the passengers and crew put up a fight against the hijackers. The plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, killing all on board.

At a memorial event held on Sunday, US President Joe Biden reflected on the how the 9/11 attacks changed the country forever.

"The American story itself changed that day. What we cannot change, never will, is the character of this nation" the attackers sought to wound," he was quoted as saying by AFP. "The character of sacrifice and love, of generosity and grace, of strength and resilience."

(With inputs from AFP)