[fugazi]

It's pretty amazing the technology that goes into shooting something traveling at 17,000 mph through space with something traveling 15,000 mph and directly hitting it. All that done with 1980s computers, which according to my experience in government service meant that the computers were probably leftover from the 1970s.

And in case you're wondering, the nearly 300 pieces of debris left over from the anti-satellite test had all re-entered the atmosphere by 2005. I forget the escape velocity of earth, but it's incredibly fast. In fact, the Apollo capsules were traveling around 16,000 miles per hour towards the moon and even THAT wasn't fast enough to escape our gravity.

[fugazi]

If anyone else wants to be added to the ping list, let me know.

[the OlLine Rebel]

At least the actual narrative here treated 1814 as the battle of Baltimore, not “Star-Spangled Banner” or “Ft. McHenry”.

But the headline scared me it would be the usual twaddle. Pretty good thorough summary. There was much more to it than Ft. McH and FSK.

[mass55th]

Great history, and I love how they honor our recent fallen heroes! Thanks for the ping!!

[reg45]

IIRC, The escape velocity from an orbit is the orbital velocity multiplied by 1.414 (the square root of 2). So, if you are in orbit, traveling at 17,000 mph, the escape velocity will be just over 24,000 mph.

[Freee-dame]

Key’s poem was put to the music of a British drinking song which already had many different sets of lyrics for it. Thus many people were able to sing it right away.

The Battle of Baltimore was fought on several fronts. Baltimore ship owners had sunk about 20 of their own boats blocking access to the inner harbor. Baltimorean civilians, knowing that the British had burned Washington just a few days before, had built a miles long earthworks to protect the city from the invading infantry. Happily, that land invasion never happened.

[Snickering Hound]

Union soldiers find Lee's battle plans leading to the Battle of Antietam in 1862.