Within Saucers
Among all the UFO images associated with Steven Spielberg, none has had a longer afterlife than the immense alien mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
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Introduction
The model’s survival demonstrates that the flying saucer in Spielberg’s work was more than a narrative device. It became a recognised cultural icon, important enough to be collected, preserved and interpreted as part of the history of both cinema and humanity’s fascination with space. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
How the Mothership Was Built as an Object of Awe
The museum piece is the original large-scale model used to create the mothership seen in the film. According to the Smithsonian, the design originated with Spielberg and was constructed by a team led by model maker Gregory Jein. Built from wood, plastic and metal, it incorporated model-kit components, train parts and countless small details that would become visible only under specialised lighting and photographic effects. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
What made the model remarkable was not simply its size but its visual philosophy. Contemporary science-fiction films often presented spacecraft as sleek machines. Spielberg’s mothership instead resembled a floating city of lights. Visual-effects artists emphasised luminosity, complexity and irregularity. When filmed under Douglas Trumbull’s supervision, the miniature appeared less like engineered hardware and more like a radiant presence descending from another world. [VFX Voice]vfxvoice.comclose encounters with an effects milestone1 Apr 2018 — Close Encounters' sci-fi story about human contact with an alien species was always going to necessitate the use of visual e…
The physical model therefore embodied the film’s central idea: the UFO as something that inspires wonder before it invites explanation. Even when viewed up close, the object remains difficult to read as a conventional vehicle. Its crowded surfaces, layered structures and glowing undercarriage resist immediate interpretation, encouraging prolonged looking—the same response Spielberg sought from audiences during the film’s climactic encounter. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
Hidden Details and Human Craft
One reason the model attracts sustained attention in museum settings is the discovery of details invisible during normal viewing of the film. The builders embedded tiny objects as jokes and signatures within the structure, including a Volkswagen bus, a mailbox, an aircraft, a submarine and even a miniature R2-D2 figure. These additions were never intended as major screen elements but became famous once visitors could examine the model directly. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr… [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
These hidden features alter the way the mothership is understood. Instead of appearing as an anonymous cinematic effect, it becomes evidence of craftsmanship and personality. Visitors see not only Spielberg’s alien vision but also the hands of the artists who constructed it. The object therefore preserves a record of practical-effects culture from an era before digital imagery became dominant. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr… [YouTube]youtube.comAdam Savage Examines the Mother Ship Model from Close…While Adam Savage was visiting the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Ce…
Why Museum Display Changes Its Meaning
The most striking aspect of the mothership’s museum life is where it is displayed. The Smithsonian places the model within the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a facility devoted primarily to aviation and spaceflight history. There it exists among aircraft, spacecraft and other technological artefacts rather than within a conventional film museum. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr… [Smithsonian Institution]si.eduMODELS-Miscellaneous; Country of Origin. United States of America; Location. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA; Exhibit Sta…
That context subtly transforms the object. In a cinema, viewers suspend disbelief and accept the mothership as an extraterrestrial craft. In a museum, nobody mistakes it for a real UFO. Yet its presence among historic aerospace objects encourages a different kind of reflection. Visitors are invited to consider how imagined futures and real technological aspirations influence one another. The model becomes part of a broader story about humanity’s relationship with flight, exploration and the unknown. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
The placement is especially appropriate because Close Encounters was never merely about aliens. Spielberg framed UFOs as symbols of curiosity, communication and transcendence. Displaying the mothership in an aerospace museum acknowledges that cultural visions of space can be historically significant even when they originate in fiction. [Wikipedia]WikipediaClose Encounters of the Third KindClose Encounters of the Third Kind
From Film Prop to Cultural Memory
Not every famous movie prop survives, and fewer still become museum artefacts. The preservation of the Close Encounters mothership signals its status as more than production equipment. It has become a recognised symbol of a particular moment in science-fiction history and of Spielberg’s distinctive approach to UFOs. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
Its continued display also reflects the enduring influence of the film itself. The mothership remains one of the most recognisable spacecraft ever created for cinema despite lacking the streamlined design language associated with many science-fiction franchises. Its cultural power comes instead from emotional association. Audiences remember the overwhelming lights, the musical communication sequence and the sense that contact with the unknown might be beautiful rather than destructive. [Wikipedia]WikipediaSteven F. Udvar-Hazy CenterLocation, Dulles International… The primary special-effects miniature of the "Mothership" used in the fi…
Museum preservation freezes that memory in physical form. Visitors are no longer encountering only a scene from a film; they are encountering the actual object that helped generate one of cinema’s most influential images of extraterrestrial visitation. The model functions simultaneously as artwork, technological artefact and cultural relic. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
What the Mothership Represents Today
The mothership’s second life reveals how Spielberg’s flying saucer imagery moved beyond entertainment. The object survives because it embodies a widely shared experience of wonder. It represents the practical ingenuity of special-effects artists, the imaginative optimism of 1970s science fiction and the enduring appeal of UFOs as symbols of mystery. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr… [VFX Voice]vfxvoice.comclose encounters with an effects milestone1 Apr 2018 — Close Encounters' sci-fi story about human contact with an alien species was always going to necessitate the use of visual e…
Seen in a museum, the model no longer asks whether aliens are real. Instead, it invites a different question: why did this vision of contact capture the public imagination so deeply that the artefact itself became worth preserving? The answer lies in Spielberg’s achievement. He transformed the flying saucer from a simple science-fiction machine into an object of awe, and the preserved mothership remains one of the clearest physical reminders of that transformation. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.eduNational Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr…
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Mothership Museum Wo Fbaed 7. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The UFO Experience
Hynek created the close-encounter framework that inspired Spielberg's film title and served as an adviser on the movie.
Passport to Magonia
One of the most influential books on UFO culture and the mystery-oriented approach echoed in Spielberg's work.
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Endnotes
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind -
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0i4AnkgkSource snippet
Adam Savage Examines the Mother Ship Model from Close...While Adam Savage was visiting the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Ce...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_F._Udvar-Hazy_CenterSource snippet
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy CenterLocation, Dulles International... The primary special-effects miniature of the "Mothership" used in the fi...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBaZQojd1_sSource snippet
DOUGLAS TRUMBULL | Master Class | Higher Learning... Douglas Trumbull, the industry pioneer behind the special effects of 2001: A Space O...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo%3ASmithsonian_NASM_-Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind_Mother_Ship_spacecraft_model%285144012861%29.jpgSource snippet
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Mother Ship spacecraft...Model in wood, plastic and metal of the Mother Ship spacecraft used in th...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: The Close Encounters Mothership
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYrwu8KvZA0Source snippet
2 Adam Savage Examines the Mother Ship Model from Close Encounters of the Third Kind...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Close Encounters Model Features Planes from Bermuda Triangle
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xquO9TKNbq8Source snippet
4 Mothership Model (with extras) - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - Smithsonian...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Mothership Model (with extras)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSA3LSONpakSource snippet
5 This Man Sparked Spielberg's Interest in UFOs...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: This Man Sparked Spielberg’s Interest in UFOs
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIGQii6wA04 -
Source: airandspace.si.edu
Link: https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/model-spacecraft-mother-ship-movie-close-encounters-third-kind/nasm_A19790906000Source snippet
National Air and Space MuseumMother Ship ModelDec 21, 2020 — Mother Ship Model - Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy Ctr...
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Source: si.edu
Link: https://www.si.edu/object/model-spacecraft-mother-ship-movie-close-encounters-third-kind%3Anasm_A19790906000Source snippet
MODELS-Miscellaneous; Country of Origin. United States of America; Location. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA; Exhibit Sta...
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Source: airandspace.si.edu
Title: web10041 2003640jpg
Link: https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/image/web10041-2003640jpgSource snippet
Encounters of the Third Kind at Udvar-Hazy CtrThe mother ship model used for the 1977 film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" is among...
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Source: vfxvoice.com
Title: close encounters with an effects milestone
Link: https://vfxvoice.com/close-encounters-with-an-effects-milestone/Source snippet
1 Apr 2018 — Close Encounters' sci-fi story about human contact with an alien species was always going to necessitate the use of visual e...
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Source: airandspace.si.edu
Link: https://airandspace.si.edu/airandspace.si.edu/air-and-space-quarterly/issue-18/hollywood-close-encounters-modelSource snippet
National Air and Space MuseumThe Mothership's StowawaysUdvar-Hazy Center can see one of cinema's most famous spaceships: a huge model of...
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Source: airandspace.si.edu
Link: https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/ce3kmothershipjpgSource snippet
Jein's model of the mothershipOne museum, two locations... Greg Jein's model of the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind...
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Source: opendoclab.mit.edu
Link: https://opendoclab.mit.edu/presents/doug-trumbull-immersive-media-film-visual-effects/Source snippet
Trumbull | Immersive Media, Film, Visual EffectsDoug Trumbull is an immersive media pioneer, a filmmaker and a visual effects visionary...
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH_pmlSy8GD/Source snippet
d Kind. This was Steven Spielberg's 1977 movie...
Additional References
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Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category%3AClose_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind_Mother_Ship_spacecraft_model_at_the_Steven_F._Udvar-Hazy_CenterSource snippet
wikimedia.orgCategory:Close Encounters of the Third Kind Mother Ship...8 Aug 2025 — Smithsonian NASM - Close Encounters of the Third Kin...
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Source: oddthingsiveseen.com
Link: https://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2010/11/photo-essay-close-encounters-mothership.html -
Source: assholeswatchingmovies.com
Title: practical impractical effects in close encounters of the third kind
Link: https://assholeswatchingmovies.com/2018/10/04/practical-impractical-effects-in-close-encounters-of-the-third-kind/Source snippet
Practical & Impractical Effects in Close Encounters of the...4 Oct 2018 — Douglas Trumbull was the visual effects supervisor on Close En...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: Fantastic to see these remarkable pieces of history survive
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/movieprops/posts/7879096622130198/Source snippet
This is the model of the alien Mother Ship used in the filming of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (Columbia Pictures, 1977...
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Source: variety.com
Title: douglas trumbull close encounters star trek memorable moments 1235175308
Link: https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/douglas-trumbull-close-encounters-star-trek-memorable-moments-1235175308/Source snippet
Trumbull was Oscar nominated for visual effects for Spielberg's “Close Encounters,” and one...Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: This is the model of the alien Mother Ship used
Link: https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldsofDavidDarling/posts/this-is-the-model-of-the-alien-mother-ship-used-in-the-filming-of-the-movie-clos/1346291373966414/Source snippet
The mothership created by Greg Jein and his team for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) is on display at the Steven F. Udv...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/12117541695/posts/10160286018756696/Source snippet
7) is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cyberpunk/comments/u6lcni/special_effects_master_douglas_trumbull_on_the/Source snippet
in the shot with it it looks more like he's a giant than it...Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/testedcom/posts/speaking-of-close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-adam-savage-got-to-examine-the-mo/10157382096900791/Source snippet
splay at the Smithsonian Air & Space museum (a gift from...Read more...
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Source: x.com
Link: https://x.com/airandspace/status/2007240557299442000Source snippet
ounters of the Third Kind." The ship was conceived by...Read more...
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