User talk:TOMJ

An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a guided ballistic missile with a minimum range of 5,500 kilometers (3,400 mi) primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads).

                           How does the ICBM work?
 Missiles are self-guided munitions that travel through the air or outer space to their targets. A ballistic missile travels along a suborbital trajectory. An intercontinental ballistic missile can travel a substantial distance around the Earth to its target. The U.S. Minuteman 3 ICBM is a three-stage booster.

                             How fast does a intercontinental ballistic missile travel?

Peak speed for an ICBM is in the ballpark of 6-7km/s (any faster and the payload would go orbital), and it takes about 10 minutes to accelerate to that speed. New York to Moscow is 7500km, at 6.5km/s is ~20 minutes. Add in the acceleration time and you're looking at about 30 minutes total.

                              n ICBM in ballistic flight constantly changes speed and altitude, so it's incorrect to think of a steady speed or altitude. A two- or three-stage booster burns for a few minutes, and accelerates the payload to a velocity of 6-7 km/sec