The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11

Commander Frank Culbertson, a NASA astronaut, received news of the 9/11 attacks and viewed the devastation from aboard the International Space Station . From 400 miles above the Earth, he saw plumes of smoke emanating from the WTC towers. On the space station’s subsequent passes over the US, he captured pictures of the devastation and observed the grounding of all the planes crisscrossing the nation, except one: Air Force One, containing the president.

Father Mychal Judge, a chaplain for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), offered a homily to a newly opened firehouse. He commented on the hardships of firefighting and how first responders prioritize the lives of others in doing God’s work. In the media, numerous journalists reflected on the slow news season. A recession was taking place, and political concerns centered on Russian-American relations as well as the rising power of China.

That afternoon and evening, artists-in-residence Vanessa Lawrence and Monika Bravo painted and took photos from the 91st and 92nd floors of the WTC’s North Tower, capturing an amazing storm as it rolled over New York City.