Skip to main content

Search

Donate

Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Hours and Locations
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Mall Museum Map
    • Dining
    • Shopping
    • Accessibility
    • Group Visits
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current Exhibitions
      • Upcoming
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Online Exhibitions
    • Today's Events
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • Art & Design
    • History & Culture
    • Science & Conservation
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Smithsonian Snapshot
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Freer and Sackler Archives
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Mobile Apps
  • Learn
    • For Kids and Teens
    • For Educators
      • Resources
      • Field Trips
      • Professional Development
      • Events
    • Youth Programs
    • Fellowships and Internships
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Visitor Information Specialist
      • Docent Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Work with Us
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Working Here
        • Employee Benefits
        • Job Opportunities
        • How to Apply
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Affiliations
      • Global Partners
  • Support
    • About Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Make a Gift
  • About
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Research Centers
    • Cultural Centers
    • Education
    • Our Organization
      • Leadership
        • Secretary Bunch
        • Advancement
        • Communications
        • Administration
        • Education
        • Museums and Culture
        • Science and Research
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Contact
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Records Request Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Equal Employment Office
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Special Emphasis Program
        • Supplier Diversity Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Policies and Procedures
          • Additional Resources
          • Goals and Accomplishments
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
        • One Smithsonian
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Music Box, Sputnik Model

National Air and Space Museum

Addthis Share Tools

    • Print

Object Details

Summary
This small music box portrays the first artificial satellite of the Earth, Sputnik, in orbit around the Earth. A stylized rendition of the satellite is mounted on a round base that represents the globe. On the base is inscribed the date October 4, 1957 (the launch of Sputnik), and the letters CCCP (Cyrillic letters for USSR). When wound, the music box plays a short tune, followed by beeps that represent the characteristic beeps of the satellite that could be heard by amateur radio operators throughout the world during the last three months of 1957. This object was added to the national collection for its significance to the cultural and psychological impact of the Sputnik launch. Although the satellite itself was a very simple one, carrying only basic instruments for measuring temperature and pressure, and a radio transmitter, its impact on world politics, military affairs, and science and technology was profound. The launch of Sputnik transported the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union to a new arena and began the Space Race.
A private collector, who purchased the music box while on a trip to the Soviet Union in 1964, donated the Sputnik Music box to the museum in 1985. The object is 6 inches, has a base that is 5 inches diameter, and is made of plastic. Sputnik is silver, the stand is clear plastic and the base is blue with gold lettering.
Credit Line
Gift of Carl B. Cobb
Inventory Number
A19850563000
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Materials
Plastic with metal parts
Dimensions
3-D: 15.2 x 12.7cm (6 x 5 in.)
Country of Origin
USSR
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A19850563000
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9f37ccaff-86b0-48b1-975e-2766942c561e

Related Content

  • 1957: A Year In The Collections

  • International Space

    Air and Space Museum
  • Music and the Cosmos

    Smithsonian Music
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Press Room
  • Human Resources
  • Host Your Event
  • Access Smithsonian
  • EEO & Supplier Diversity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email signup form

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
Back to Top