The Soviet Union launched Sputnik-1 on October the 5th, 1957 and in so doing kicked the Space Race into high gear – where it would remain for over a decade until the Americans landed Buzz and Neil on the Moon in 1969 and took the crown.
This Sputnik-1 model was built in 1957 as a prototype test model for ground Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Electromagnetic Interference (AMI) testing. It’s the exact size, weight, and specification as the Sputnik-1 that was launched into space – but of course the original was burnt up in the atmosphere on re-entry in 1958.
Just 4 official prototypes of the Sputnik-1 were built, and this is thought to be the only one with a working transmitter. It’s due to be offered for sale by Bonhams at the upcoming Space History Sale on the 20th of July. The estimated value is between $10,000 USD and $15,000 USD – which seems like a bargain for such a significant piece of world history.
Ben Branch has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, the official Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
The Laverda 750 SFC Elettronica is the most desirable of the Italian company’s first big twins, and it’s not just sought-after for its looks – the 750 SFC took a slew of major endurance racing wins in the early 1970s against the best in the world. The Laverda 750 SFC – The Big Twin The…
NASA – Past And Present Dreams Of The Future is a book by Benedict Redgrove, it’s the result of 9 years of intensive work including exclusive behind the scenes access at NASA – the finished book weighs in at a hefty 10 lbs and contains over 200 never-before-seen images. Regardless of whether you grew up…
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The Ner-a-Car, known as the Neracar in the United States, was a revolutionary motorcycle design from 1918 that could very well have forever changed the trajectory of motorcycle design and engineering. As it stands today the Ner-a-Car was the most prolifically manufactured motorcycle with hub-center steering right up to the modern day, with over 15,000…
The Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 is almost certainly the most famous aircraft engine in history, I’m sure there are other contenders of course but I’m convinced the Merlin has them beat. Although most believe the engine is named for the famous wizard of the same name from the legend of King Arthur, it’s actually named after…
The 1965 Pontiac GTO Chief Camino is a one-off vehicle that should almost certainly have been built and offered for sale by Pontiac in the mid-1960s. It never was, but this is probably due to the fact that there’s no indication Pontiac even considered building it. The car you see here wasn’t built by them,…
