Earth observations taken from Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-78 mission

STS078-736-064 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- As photographed by the flight crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia in Earth-orbit, the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is seen near the eastern base of Pikes Peak. It was built on a mesa at 6,008 feet (1,831 meters) sea level. Pikes Peak is the large tan patch on the bottom left or west portion of the photo. The city is the headquarters of Pike National Forest, located on its west side. Founded in 1871 as Fountain Colony by General William J. Palmer, builder of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, it was renamed for the nearby Manitou mineral springs. Growth of the area followed the Cripple Creek gold strikes in the 1890s and the promotion of the tourist-health-resort trade in the area. The establishment of military installations gave further impetus to development. The North American Air Defense and Aerospace Defense commands are headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base (Peterson Field). Fort Carson (1942), on the city's southern edge, is the home of the Fourth United States Infantry Division. The United States Air Force Academy (1954), just to the north, is set against a backdrop of the Rampart Range. Its population in 1990 was 281,140.