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Author
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Topic: Collecting Sputnik, 50 years later...
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-27-2007 02:01 PM
   
With the 50th anniversary of Sputnik just a few months away, I am curious what collectSPACE readers feel are the most desirable collectibles related to Earth's first man-made satellite? Barring a piece of Sputnik itself, what do you have or desire to own that represents the satellite in your collection? Are there commemorative stamps more desirable then others? Commemorative coins? Scale models? Mechanical toys? |
AlanLawrie
Member Posts: 95
From: hitchin, herts, UK
Registered: Oct 2003
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posted 06-28-2007 06:57 AM
Has anyone seen/got an authenticated photo of the first launch? The film that is usually shown appears to show light in the sky which is strange as the launch was in the early hours (actaully 5 October at the launch site). |
Colin Anderton
Member Posts: 151
From: Great Britain
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 06-28-2007 01:52 PM
Sputnik 1 was launched at 19.28.34, GMT, which would put it at 22.28.34 Moscow Time.I do remember hearing some time ago that not even a still photograph was permitted of the launch - presumably for security reasons. So the start of the Space Age went unrecorded on film. My favourite items in connection with Sputnik 1 are the audio and newsreels of the event. CBC still have a recording of their news coverage available at their website. Colin.
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mikepf
Member Posts: 441
From: San Jose, California, USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-28-2007 05:00 PM
At the moment I don't have anything connected to Sputnik in my collection. I've been looking for something cool to comememorate the 50th anniversary of the launch since I was "launched" the day before it was. If anyone knows of any good items, please pass it along. |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 06-28-2007 05:15 PM
From the space cover side of things - All of the Russian Sputnik covers postmarked for Oct. 4, 1957 are considered backdated (due both to the late hour of launch that day, and due to the fact that the Soviet postal agency was infamous for backdating covers). Someone in a little town in Arkansas (I can't remember the town name) had the presence of mind to postmark some covers that day (it was afternoon in the US). Those are extremely hard to find since they are considered legitimately dated and there probably weren't many to begin with. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-28-2007 07:35 PM
As a result of this thread, I was reminded that a private collector does own a bona fide part of the first Sputnik. Soviet space memorabilia collector Art Dula owns the metal arming key that prevented contact between Sputnik's batteries and transmitters until it was prepared for launch. Only after its removal did Sputnik begin to transmit the distinctive "beep, beep, beep" that was heard around the world. Dula has loaned the key to the National Air and Space Museum where it is on display in the Space Race gallery. |
Machodoc
Member Posts: 207
From: DE
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 06-30-2007 05:57 PM
I've built a decent sized Soviet spaceflight pin collection, with many of them dedicated to various anniversaries of Sputnik's flight. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 06-30-2007 06:17 PM
Robert-
I would buy a small model of "sputnik".
-Lou |
kyra
Member Posts: 583
From: Louisville CO US
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 06-30-2007 11:47 PM
I'm fairly content here with a few of the real 1950's Soviet pins and an mp3 of the sputnik sound  However, the digital copies of blueprints of the real Sputnik-1, formally called PS-1 in the day would be nice. Someday they will be available, like the other tech documents of the day I have droned about. That key is awesome, but it is really something I would not want responsibility for owning. This key can be seen as the one that started humankind's entrance into the space age. My luck would be that it would be sold in a lot of costume jewelry after I died for $5.00, and some kid would fish it out and string it on a piece of string with a bunch of vintage beer and pop can tabs. It definitely belongs in the Smithsonian! In the equation of rarity increases valuability the documentation is the only thing that really remains unseen by the world. Bring on the film footage, recordings, prints, and documentation. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 07-01-2007 02:14 AM
Alex Panchenko has some Sputnik scale models for sale... |
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