Sputnik

This image was inspired by a challenge presented by CGSphere.com. Given a simple template of a sphere and a background grid, the task they presented to 3-D artists was to create a captivating and visually appealing scene. Sputnik was a natural fit to their challenge.

This image commemorates the 50th anniversary of the start of the space age. The first artificial satellite of Earth, Sputnik, was launched on October 4th, 1957.

I created this image on October 4th, 2007 - fifty years to the day after the launch of Sputnik. I later used the same satellite model for an image called Peace on Earth.