Local astronomy enthusiasts have asked the U.S. Forest Service for permission to build an observatory atop Pikes Peak, the latest step in realizing the wish made upon a star long ago to turn America’s Mountain into a premier place for research.
“Now the real work begins,” Robert J. Sallee, board chair of the National Space Science and Technology Institute said after the Colorado Springs-based organization submitted a detailed special-use permit request to the Pikes Peak Ranger District.
In 175 pages the application outlines a vision that scientists – professional and amateur alike – have held for the better part of two decades.
Pikes Peak Observatory was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1997, but the educational endeavor has since encountered one setback after another. When plans began for a new Summit House, observatory supporters were removed from the process as they learned the Forest Service hesitated to allow any new uses on the mountain.
The ranger district gave no indication of the possibility in an emailed response to questions. The office returned a policy that states the agency has 60 days to consider the proposal.
