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That is a model of a Vanguard nosecone / third stage with an "IGY magnetometer satellite" at the top. The sphere is the "Sub-Satellite", a precursor of Project Echo.

Sad ending: It blew up in the launch attempt of the Vanguard SLV-5 vehicle.

Another picture is found in the source linked below.

Source

The official NASA history of Project Vanguard also calls it a "magnetometer". (page 226)

The final, real-world payload may not have looked like this model. It may have looked more like Vanguard 3 shown in the answer to this question: This BBC photo does not show a replica of Vanguard-1, what might it be?

That is a model of a Vanguard nosecone / third stage with an "IGY magnetometer satellite" at the top. The sphere is the "Sub-Satellite", a precursor of Project Echo.

Sad ending: It blew up in the launch attempt of the Vanguard SLV-5 vehicle.

Another picture of the model is found in the same document (source linked below).

Source

The official NASA history of Project Vanguard also calls it a "magnetometer". (page 226)

The final, real-world payload may not have looked like this model. It may have looked more like Vanguard 3 shown in the answer to this question: This BBC photo does not show a replica of Vanguard-1, what might it be?

That is a model of a Vanguard nosecone / third stage with an "IGY magnetometer satellite" at the top. The sphere is the "Sub-Satellite", a precursor of Project Echo.

Sad ending: It blew up in the launch attempt of the Vanguard SLV-5 vehicle.

Another picture is found in the source linked below.

Source

The official NASA history of Project Vanguard also calls it a "magnetometer". (page 226)

That is a model of a Vanguard nosecone / third stage with an "IGY magnetometer satellite" at the top. The sphere is the "Sub-Satellite", a precursor of Project Echo.

Sad ending: It blew up in the launch attempt of the Vanguard SLV-5 vehicle.

Another picture is found in the source linked below.

Source

The official NASA history of Project Vanguard also calls it a "magnetometer". (page 226)

The final, real-world payload may not have looked like this model. It may have looked more like Vanguard 3 shown in the answer to this question: This BBC photo does not show a replica of Vanguard-1, what might it be?

That is a model of a Vanguard nosecone / third stage with an "IGY magnetometer satellite" at the top. The sphere is the "Sub-Satellite", a precursor of Project Echo.

Sad ending: It blew up in the third launch attempt of the Vanguard vehicle.

Another picture is found in the source linked below.

Source

That is a model of a Vanguard nosecone / third stage with an "IGY magnetometer satellite" at the top. The sphere is the "Sub-Satellite", a precursor of Project Echo.

Sad ending: It blew up in the launch attempt of the Vanguard SLV-5 vehicle.

Another picture is found in the source linked below.

Source

The official NASA history of Project Vanguard also calls it a "magnetometer". (page 226)