By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Cosmosphere is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in its own special way.
"Frank Culbertson was the commander of the International Space Station on September 11," said Mimi Meredith with Cosmosphere. "He was the only American not on Earth on that day. As the International Space Station was coming over the eastern coast of the United States, they had just received word of the terrorist attacks and he was able to use a digital camera that was on board the space station to capture an image that has become an iconic photograph."
The image shows smoke billowing from the Twin Towers.
"This is an image taken from 200 miles above the earth," Meredith said. "It was so dramatic that the smoke cannot be captured in the frame. It's that significant. That image now is on display in the Cosmosphere in a huge format. It takes up our entire exhibit wall, along with the details, not only of how the image was captured that day, but some quotes from Frank Culbertson, former American astronaut and also the widow of one of the pilots of one of the aircraft."
Centered in the exhibit is the camera that took the photo, which is now a part of Cosmosphere's collection. The new exhibit, located in Cosmosphere’s rotunda gallery, will continue through September 30.