You can see the orbit and current position of needle clumps still in space here: http://stuffin.space/?search=Westford

The thought of just spraying junk like that in space today is harrowing. The Iridium-Cosmos collision in 2009 still has left some 75% of its debris field in orbit.

hey, that's nothing, in the early 1960s they also thought it would be a good idea to nuke space: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime

See Project A119, a top-secret plan developed in 1958 by the United States Air Force to detonate a nuclear bomb on the Moon. It would be a show of force to boost domestic morale in the capabilities of the United States after the Soviet Union took an early lead in the Space Race and was also working on a similar project.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_A119

Reminds me of this comedy skit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oml4oz5knaI

Where can I read more about "bouncing communications off the ionsphere"? I've never heard of this

The term would be skywave propagation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skywave

Enjoy. It's mind boggling!

Oh, and the related over the horizon radar!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over-the-horizon_radar