Space Shuttle Is Fast

Did you ever really pay attention to the stats, distances and speed of a space shuttle launch? I just did and it's astounding. Here are some notes I jotted down while watching the launch:

• Four minutes after liftoff, the shuttle has gone 60 miles up, is 200 miles from the space center and has reached a speed of 6,000 MPH (or about ten times faster than a passenger jet).
• Five minutes after liftoff, it has reached a speed of 7,000 mph!!
• Six minutes after liftoff, it has reached a speed of 13,000 frigging feet per second which is more than two miles per second!!!!
• At seven minutes after liftoff, it is now traveling 4 miles per second! If you can get your brain around that fact, can you imagine being in a container going that fast????
• Freaking human achievement is amazing.