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Ad Astra

Ad Astra, meaning “toward the stars” in Latin, is a public artwork created in 1976 by an American artist. This abstract sculpture is made of polished stainless steel with a gold finish and has a height that is not specified in the source text. It is part of the collection of the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. According to the source, Lippold believed that humanity’s conquest of space was inevitable, and the sculpture symbolizes that achievement. Ad Astra also appears in Shawn Levy’s 2009 film Night at the Museum 2.

Ad Astra sculpture with a tall metallic spire and radiating spikes against a blue sky.
Ad Astra rises into the sky, its reflective surface and spiked upper sections silhouetted by the sun.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ad Astra, a towering gold-colored abstract sculpture with star-like elements at the top against a blue sky.
Ad Astra rises outside the National Air and Space Museum, its polished gold surface catching the sunlight.
May 2005 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ad Astra sculpture with a tall reflective spire and spiky star-like forms against a blue sky.
Ad Astra rises as a slender reflective sculpture topped with abstract star-like elements.
© · Public domain
Ad Astra sculpture with a tall metallic pole and white starburst rods against a blue sky.
Ad Astra by Richard Lippold rises into the sky with delicate starburst forms at the top.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
Ad Astra sculpture with slender spire and radiating metal rods against a bright sky.
Ad Astra by Richard Lippold rises in delicate starburst forms outside the National Air and Space Museum.
November 2014 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleAd Astra
Typepublic abstract sculpture

Historical context

Year created1976

Creator

ArtistRichard Lippold
Artist nationalityAmerican

Materials

Materialpolished gilded stainless steel

Physical characteristics

Height30 meters (100 feet)
Colorgold
Forma narrow three-planed shaft ending in a pointed tip, penetrating a triple star-like cluster near its apex

Location and ownership

Locationoutside the Jefferson Drive entrance of the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.
CollectionNational Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Appearance

Styleabstract

Iconography and meaning

Name meaningLatin for "to the stars"
InterpretationLippold believed that the characteristic art of his time dealt with the conquest of space, and that Ad Astra symbolized that idea

Other

Film appearanceAppears in the 2009 film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian