American Military History What 9/11 Was Like for Astronaut Frank Culbertson, the Only American Not on Earth for It Naval aviator and astronaut Frank Culbertson took off from the John F. Kennedy Space Center aboard the Shuttle Discovery on Aug. 10, 2001, to take command of the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly four months. It should have been memorable because it would be the first and only time he would command the station. Instead, he became notable for what happened on Earth below: Culberson was the only American who watched the Sept. 11 terror attacks unfold from low earth orbit. Read More