Astronaut Mark Vande Hei captured from ISS Montana State, near Helena and Missoula, U.S.
Montana is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western U.S. The western half of the state contains numerous mountain ranges, while the eastern half is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands, with smaller mountain ranges found throughout the state. Most of Montana first came under American sovereignty with the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 and was explored by the Lewis and Clark Expedition shortly thereafter. Fur trappers followed and were the main economic activity in the area until gold was discovered in 1852. The ensuing gold rush, along with the passage of the Homestead Acts in 1862, brought large numbers of American settlers to Montana.[7] Rapid population growth and development culminated in statehood on November 8, 1889. Mining, particularly around Butte and Helena, would remain the state’s main economic engine through the mid-20th century. The name Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña, which in turn comes from the Latin word montanea, meaning “mountain” or more broadly “mountainous country”.
The local scenery on the ground is as follows.
Reference: Mark Vande Hei’s Tweet
See earthview photo gallery: LiVEARTH