Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/ICBM diagram

Diagram of an ICBM with MIRVs from launch to detonation

Original - Diagram depicting the different stages of a Minuteman III missile path from launch to detonation, as well as the different basic stages of the missile themselves. 1. The missile launches out of its silo by firing its 1st stage boost motor (A). 2. About 60 seconds after launch, the 1st stage drops off and the 2nd stage motor (B) ignites. The missile shroud is ejected. 3. About 120 seconds after launch, the 3rd stage motor (C) ignites and separates from the 2nd stage. 4. About 180 seconds after launch, 3rd stage thrust terminates and the Post-Boost Vehicle (D) separates from the rocket. 5. The Post-Boost Vehicle maneuvers itself and prepares for re-entry vehicle (RV) deployment. 6. The RVs, as well as decoys and chaff, are deployed during backaway. 7. The RVs and chaff re-enter the atmosphere at high speeds and are armed in flight. 8. The nuclear warheads detonate, either as air bursts or ground bursts.

Reason

Informative diagram that explains how an ICBM with MIRVs works, covering the sequence from launch to arrival and detonation over a target. High encyclopedic value.

Articles this image appears in

LGM-30 Minuteman, Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle

Creator

Fastfission

• Support as nominator --TomStar81 (Talk) 22:23, 18 March 2009 (UTC)
• Support per nom. Well captioned and sourced. Durova^Charge! 20:24, 19 March 2009 (UTC)
• Comment caption should probably use the numbers / letters to explain the stages. gren グレン 21:33, 19 March 2009 (UTC)
• Support good Informative diagram-Lee2008 (talk) 08:54, 20 March 2009 (UTC)
• Comment - Some of the ground appears to lift off of the water. Could this be fixed? — neuro^{(talk)(review)} 04:25, 21 March 2009 (UTC)
  • I lack the technical expertise to do so, but I left a message on Fastfission's talk page with a link here. He is listed as semi-retired, so I am unsure if he will get the message in time to help. Sorry, its just the best I can do :-/ TomStar81 (Talk) 09:10, 21 March 2009 (UTC)
  • Neurolysis it looks better this way. It actually makes the land look like land rather than flat colour ;-)--Patton^t/c 11:34, 21 March 2009 (UTC)
• Support. Nice illustrative image of something that lends itself to pictorial format. Also, I like the land as is. |→ Spaully^₪† 23:01, 22 March 2009 (GMT)
• Comment. I like it, tending to support, however have a couple of concerns. All other stages have diagrams illustrating them, but stage 1 is simply labelled as the Number 1 without showing the whole missile launching from the silo. Possibly more significantly, the image page/caption says "2. About 60 seconds after launch, the 1st stage drops off and the 2nd stage motor (B) ignites. The missile shroud is ejected." Firstly the missile shroud, which I assume is the yellow thing, is in no way labelled (along with a few things later). Secondly, while the 1st stage motor has dropped off per the description, it shows the missile shroud both on the missile and also off the missile after being ejected. It shouldn't be both - either it should be in the ejected position in the stage 3 illustration, or it shouldn't be shown on the missile in stage 2. Also we have "7. The RVs and chaff re-enter the atmosphere...", yet we're not told when it ever leaves the atmosphere, and the article doesn't appear to provide any info on this - perhaps the level of the atmosphere should be shown on the diagram? --jjron (talk) 13:42, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

• Suspended pending these concerns. MER-C 08:11, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

• Okay, it's been almost 2 months now–would we like to close this and renominate later? Spencer^{T♦Nominate!} 00:52, 18 May 2009 (UTC)

Not promoted MER-C 07:17, 19 May 2009 (UTC)