Lunar plaques are stainless steel

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

s measuring attached to the ladders on the descent stages of the United States

Apollo Lunar Module The Apollo Lunar Module (LM ), originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lunar lander spacecraft that was flown between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface during the United States' Apollo program. It was the first crewed sp ...

s flown on lunar landing missions Apollo 11 through Apollo 17, to be left permanently on the lunar surface. The plaques were originally suggested and designed by NASA's head of technical services

Jack Kinzler Jack Kinzler (January 9, 1920 – March 4, 2014) was a NASA engineer, the former chief of the Technical Services Center at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, known within the agency as Mr. Fix It. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished ...

, who oversaw their production. All of the plaques bear facsimiles of the participating astronauts' signatures. For this reason, an extra plaque had to be made for

Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo program, Apollo space program and would have been the third Moon landing. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the landing was abort ...

due to the late replacement of one crew member. The first (

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

) and last (

Apollo 17 Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the eleventh and final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the sixth and most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on the Moon, ...

) plaques bear a facsimile of the signature of

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

during the landings, along with references to the start and completion of "man's first explorations of the Moon" and expressions of peace "for all mankind". All, except the

Apollo 12 Apollo 12 (November 14–24, 1969) was the sixth crewed flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969, by NASA from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Commander Charles ...

plaque (which is also textured differently), bear pictures of the two hemispheres of Earth. Apollo 17's plaque bears a depiction of the lunar globe in addition to the Earth. The plaques used on missions 13 through 16 bear the call-sign of each mission's Lunar Module. All of the plaques were left on the Moon, except for those of the aborted Apollo 13 mission.

Plaques

plaque inscription: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969,

A.D The terms (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used when designating years in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. The term is Medieval Latin and means "in the year of the Lord" but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", tak ...

. We came in peace for all mankind" in capital letters. The statement "We came in peace for all mankind" is derived from the 1958

National Aeronautics and Space Act The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 () is the United States federal statute that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Act, which followed close on the heels of the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, was ...

's declaration of policy and purpose: ::"The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind." :(Signatures:

Neil A. Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who, in 1969, became the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

;

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

; Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.;

, President, United States of America) *

plaque inscription: ''Apollo 12 November 1969'' (Signatures: Charles Conrad, Jr.;

Richard F. Gordon, Jr. Richard Francis "Dick" Gordon Jr. (October 5, 1929 – November 6, 2017) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut, and a football executive. He was one of 24 people to have flown to the Moon, as command module ...

; Alan L. Bean) *

plaque inscription: ''Apollo 13 Aquarius April 1970'' (Signatures on original plaque, bolted to the LM ladder: James A. Lovell; Thomas K. Mattingly II; Fred W. Haise. A replacement plaque with John L. Swigert, Jr.'s name replacing Mattingly's was carried in the spacecraft cabin; Lovell was to have placed this over the original as he descended the ladder. After the landing was aborted, Lovell saved the replacement to keep as a souvenir; the first plaque bearing Mattingly's name was destroyed when ''Aquarius'' reentered the Earth's atmosphere at the end of the mission.) *

Apollo 14 Apollo 14 (January 31February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to Moon landing, land on the Moon, and the first to land in the Geology of the Moon#Highlands, lunar highlands. It was the las ...

plaque inscription: ''Apollo 14 Antares February 1971'' (Signatures:

Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he became the fifth and oldest person to walk on t ...

; Stuart A. Roosa;

Edgar D. Mitchell Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell (September 17, 1930 – February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and United States Naval Aviator, aviator, test pilot, Aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer, Ufology, ufologist, and NASA astronaut. ...

) *

Apollo 15 Apollo 15 (July 26August 7, 1971) was the ninth crewed mission in the Apollo program and the fourth Moon landing. It was the first List of Apollo missions#Alphabetical mission types, J mission, with a longer stay on the Moon and a greate ...

plaque inscription: ''Apollo 15 Falcon July 1971'' (Signatures: David R. Scott; Alfred M. Worden;

James B. Irwin James Benson Irwin (March 17, 1930 – August 8, 1991) was an American astronaut, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and a United States Air Force pilot. He served as Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 15, the fourth human lunar landing. He was ...

) *

Apollo 16 Apollo 16 (April 1627, 1972) was the tenth human spaceflight, crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, Apollo space program, administered by NASA, and the fifth and penultimate to Moon landing, land on the Moon. It was the second o ...

plaque inscription: ''Apollo 16 Orion April 1972'' (Signatures: John W. Young; Thomas K. Mattingly II; Charles M. Duke, Jr.) *

plaque inscription: "Here man completed his first explorations of the Moon December 1972, A.D. May the spirit of peace in which we came be reflected in the lives of all mankind" in capital letters. (Signatures:

Eugene A. Cernan Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. Cernan traveled into space three times and to the Moon twice: as pilot ...

; Ronald E. Evans;

Harrison H. Schmitt Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt (born July 3, 1935) is an American geologist, former NASA astronaut, university professor, former U.S. senator from New Mexico. He is the most recent living person—and only person without a background in military a ...

; Richard Nixon, President, United States of America).

Plaques gallery

Image:A12-plaque.jpg, Replica of the Apollo 12 plaque File:APOLLO 13 LUNAR PLAQUE replica.jpg, Replica of the replacement Apollo 13 plaque, with Swigert's signature instead of Mattingly's;

James Lovell James Arthur Lovell Jr. ( ; born March 25, 1928) is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of the fi ...

has the original Image:A14-plaque.jpg, Apollo 14 plaque Image:A15-plaque.jpg, Imprint of the Apollo 15 plaque Image:A16-plaque.jpg, Apollo 16 plaque, mounted in place Image:A17-plaque.JPG, Apollo 17 plaque

Notes

* The plaques are curved so as to fit around the landing leg and not hinder the astronauts from using the ladder. The plaques were attached directly to the ladder rungs, between the third and fourth rungs from the bottom. * Two plaques were made for Apollo 13, because of the replacement two days before launch of Command Module Pilot Thomas K. "Ken" Mattingly with John L. "Jack" Swigert, because of Mattingly's exposure to

German measles Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild, with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and ...

. Mission Commander James "Jim" Lovell was to have placed the plaque bearing Swigert's name over the original already fastened to the LM ''Aquarius'', when he descended the ladder to walk on the Moon. When the landing was aborted, Lovell saved this plaque to keep as a memento, and it remains in his possession. The original plaque bearing Mattingly's name was destroyed when ''Aquarius'' reentered the Earth's atmosphere. * The lunar near-side map, with the six Apollo lunar landing sites marked on it, was added to the Apollo 17 plaque at the suggestion of astronaut

Gene Cernan Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. Cernan traveled into space three times and to the Moon twice: as pilot ...

. * Reproductions of the plaques were given as mementos to foreign governments through various United States embassies after each flight. * James C. Humes, a speech writer for President Nixon and four other presidents, is partly credited for authoring the text on the Apollo 11 lunar plaque.

William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He ...

and

Pat Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan ( ; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative author, political commentator, and politician. He was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He ...

also worked on drafting the plaque. * In 1989, William Safire in his capacity as a "word maven" wryly wrote that AD should have been placed before the year, not after: "I had a hand in the first sign to be placed by earthlings on another celestial body, and it contains a glaring grammatical error." * The plaques were produced by Nelson-Miller, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA.

References

{{Portal bar, Spaceflight Missions to the Moon Apollo program hardware Maps in art Message artifacts

Plaques

Plaques gallery

Notes

See also

References