Satellite images taken in the days after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 reveal the sobering impact on all three sites as the country prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of a day that changed America.
On that Tuesday morning in 2001, two planes hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists crashed into the twin towers in New York City. Another plane hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and passengers on a fourth plane forced it to crash into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks, and the images from that day remain forever seared into the minds of many Americans.
Maxar Technologies released satellite images showing the aftermath at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, which encompasses Shanksville.
Maxar said that shortly after the attacks, their team "shifted the tasking" of the IOKONOS satellite in order to "image the affected sites as quickly as possible." The company said it had "the only high-resolution commercial imagery system in orbit" at the time.
The first image, showing what was left at the World Trade Center site, was captured on Sept. 12. It shows smoke rising above Ground Zero, where the twin towers had collapsed just a day before. Another image was taken on Sept. 15 and shows the destruction more clearly when most of the smoke had cleared.
Smoke rises above ground zero, where the Twin Towers collapsed in New York City, on Sept. 12, 2001. Credit: Maxar Technologies via Storyful
The destruction at ground zero can be seen in this IKONOS image from Sept. 15, 2001. Credit: Maxar Technologies via Storyful
A satellite image captured on Sept. 13 shows the site of the United Airlines flight 93 crash in the Pennsylvania field. The passengers on board had learned from phone calls about the other plane crashes and fought back against the hijackers, attempting to retake control of the plane. It eventually crashed into the field and a national memorial now stands at the site.
The IKONOS satellite passed over Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 13, 2001, showing the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 crash. Credit: Maxar Technologies via Storyful
Another image shows the Pentagon on Sept. 15. Damage to the building can be seen on the left side of the building after five hijackers flew a plane into the building.
The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, is seen from space on Sept. 15, 2001. The impacted area can be seen on the left side of the building. Credit: Maxar Technologies via Storyful
More recent images taken in 2019 and 2021 show One World Trade Center, the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in lower Manhattan, and the memorial sites, as well as the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania field.
The field where Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, has become the Flight 93 National Memorial run by the U.S. Park Service. Credit: Maxar Technologies via Storyful
The 9/11 attacks prompted the U.S. to launch an international military campaign known as the War on Terror. Part of this included the launch of the first unclassified commercial satellite imagery for mission planning, monitoring and intelligence gathering, according to Maxar Technologies.
"This foundational geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) enabled seamless intelligence sharing across U.S. combatant commands and with coalition partners," the company said.
The U.S. government began obtaining commercial satellite imagery for mission planning and intelligence in 2002 and continues to do so today.
Maxar Technologies said the commercial GEOINT also played a role in "one of the most pivotal moments in the War on Terror," when 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, by the U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6.
U.S. intelligence agencies tracked Bin Laden to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and used Maxar imagery to study the structure of the compound in detail. The military was able to then simulate and train for the raid, "enabling a precise operation once boots hit the ground," Maxar said.
This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.
Picha za satelaiti zilizochukuliwa siku chache baada ya mashambulizi ya Septemba 11, 2001, zinaonyesha athari ya kuogopesha katika maeneo yote matatu wakati nchi inapojiandaa kuadhimisha maadhimisho ya miaka 20 ya siku iliyobadilisha Amerika. Jumanne asubuhi, ndege mbili zilizotekwa nyara na wanamgambo wa al-Qaeda zilipiga minara miwili ya New York. Ndege nyingine iligonga jengo la Pentagon huko Washington, D.C., na abiria wa ndege ya nne walilazimisha ndege hiyo ianguke kwenye shamba huko Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Karibu watu 3,000 waliuawa katika mashambulizi hayo, na picha za siku hiyo zinabaki milele katika akili za Wamarekani wengi. Maxar Technologies ilitoa picha za satelaiti zinazoonyesha athari za shambulio hilo katika World Trade Center, Pentagon na Stony Creek Township, Pennsylvania, ambayo inajumuisha Shanksville. Maxar alisema kuwa muda mfupi baada ya mashambulizi, timu yao "ilibadilisha kazi" ya satelaiti ya IOKONOS ili "kuchukua picha za maeneo yaliyoathiriwa haraka iwezekanavyo". Kampuni hiyo ilisema kwamba wakati huo ilikuwa na "mfumo pekee wa picha za kibiashara zenye azimio la juu katika mzunguko wa dunia". Picha ya kwanza, inayoonyesha kile kilichobaki katika eneo la World Trade Center, ilichukuliwa Septemba 12. Inaonyesha moshi ukiinuka juu ya Ground Zero, ambapo minara miwili ya Twin ilikuwa imebomoka siku moja tu kabla. Picha nyingine ilichukuliwa Septemba 15 na inaonyesha uharibifu huo wazi zaidi wakati moshi mwingi ulipokuwa umepungua. "Mashimo ya moshi juu ya Ground Zero, mahali ambapo Twin Towers ilianguka huko New York, Septemba 12, 2001: ""Uharibifu katika Ground Zero unaweza kuonekana katika picha hii ya Ikonos kutoka Septemba 15, 2001." Abiria waliokuwa ndani ya ndege hiyo walikuwa wamejifunza kwa simu kuhusu ajali nyingine za ndege na walipigana dhidi ya watekaji ndege, wakijaribu kuchukua tena udhibiti wa ndege hiyo. Hatimaye gari hilo liligonga uwanja huo na sasa kuna mnara wa ukumbusho wa kitaifa mahali hapo. Satelaiti ya Ikonos ilipita juu ya Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Septemba 13, 2001, ikionyesha eneo la ajali ya United Airlines Flight 93. Picha ya Maxar Technologies kupitia Storyful: Pentagon Uharibifu wa jengo hilo unaweza kuonekana upande wa kushoto baada ya wahalifu watano kuruka ndege ndani ya jengo hilo. Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, Marekani, Septemba 15, 2001 Eneo lililoathiriwa linaweza kuonekana upande wa kushoto wa jengo hilo. Picha za hivi karibuni zilizochukuliwa mnamo 2019 na 2021 zinaonyesha Kituo kimoja cha Biashara ya Ulimwengu, jengo kuu la jengo la Kituo cha Biashara cha Ulimwengu kilichojengwa upya huko Manhattan ya chini, na maeneo ya ukumbusho, pamoja na Pentagon na uwanja wa Pennsylvania. Eneo la ndege ya 93 lililoporomoka huko Shanksville, Pennsylvania, limekuwa kumbukumbu ya ndege ya 93 ya kitaifa inayoendeshwa na Huduma ya Hifadhi ya Marekani. "Mashambulizi ya Septemba 11 yaliongoza Marekani kuanza kampeni ya kijeshi ya kimataifa inayojulikana kama ""Vita dhidi ya Ugaidi.""" "Hii ni pamoja na uzinduzi wa picha za kwanza za kijiografia za kibiashara za satelaiti kwa ajili ya mipango ya misheni, ufuatiliaji na kukusanya habari, kulingana na Maxar Technologies.""" "Ujasusi huu wa msingi wa kijiografia (GEOINT) uliruhusu ushirikiano wa ujasusi bila mshono katika amri za wapiganaji wa Marekani na washirika wa muungano, ""alisema kampuni hiyo." Serikali ya Marekani ilianza kupata picha za satelaiti za kibiashara kwa ajili ya mipango ya misheni na ujasusi mnamo 2002 na inaendelea kufanya hivyo leo. "GEOINT pia ilicheza jukumu katika ""moja ya wakati muhimu zaidi katika Vita dhidi ya Ugaidi,"" wakati kiongozi wa 11 Septemba Osama bin Laden aliuawa Mei 2, 2011 na Timu ya 6 ya Navy SEAL." Shirika la Ujasusi la Marekani lilimfuatilia bin Laden hadi kwenye kambi yake ya Abbottabad, Pakistan, na kutumia picha za Maxar kuchunguza muundo wa kambi hiyo kwa undani. Jeshi liliweza kuiga na kuzoea shambulio hilo, "kutoa uwezo wa operesheni sahihi mara tu viatu vilipogonga ardhi", Maxar alisema. Hadithi hii iliripotiwa kutoka Cincinnati. Shirika la habari la Associated Press lilitoa mchango.