San Antonio, Texas as seen from STS-58

STS058-101-053 (18 Oct-1 Nov 1993) --- This sharp cloud-free photograph of San Antonio, Texas illustrates the classic pattern of western cities. The Hispanic heart of the city; an intertwining of streets along the San Antonio River and around the Alamo, surrounded by a late 19th century Anglo grid of small businesses and suburban homes. Transportation routes radiate to mid and late 20th Century ring corridors separating the urban/suburban region from the surrounding agricultural countryside. San Antonio was founded around permanent springs that rise at the foot of the Balcones Escarpment, which separates the Texas Hill Country from the South Texas Plains. Limestone quarries are conspicuous along the edge of the escarpment. San Antonio has long been a major site for military training bases: Randolph Air Force Base is outside the city to the northeast, Fort Sam Houston is contained within the northeast quadrant of the city, Brooks Air Force Base lies at the southeastern corner, and Lackland and Kelly Air Force Bases are within the suburban fringe to the southwest. San Antonio International Airport can be seen at the foot of the escarpment in the northern part of the city.