Possible Clues:

• Any out of a series of Soviet artificial satellites
• First artificial earth satellite
• Subject of the book 'Red Moon Rising'
• Image on a 1957 Soviet stamp
• Traveler in 1957 news
• It was launched the same day that 'Leave It to Beaver' premiered
• Subject of the 2001 book subtitled 'The Shock of the Century'
• Laika's carrier
• Soviet space orbiter
• It's punk rock that used to encircle the globe