"On September 11, 2001, astronaut Frank Culbertson saw the destruction of New York City's Twin Towers from the International Space Station. He wrote: ""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."""