The Apollo 11 plaque on the descent stage of the Lunar Module Eagle on the Moon bears the signatures of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and U.S. President Richard M. Nixon

The Lunar plaques are stainless steel commemorative plaques measuring 9 by 7+5⁄8 inches (22.9 by 19.4 cm) attached to the ladders on the descent stages of the United States Apollo Lunar Modules 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, who oversaw their production.^[1]

All of the plaques bear facsimiles of the participating astronauts' signatures. For this reason, an extra plaque had to be made for Apollo 13 due to the late replacement of one crew member. The first (Apollo 11) and last (Apollo 17) plaques bear a facsimile of the signature of Richard Nixon, President of the United States 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 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 the plaques were left on the Moon, except the two for the aborted Apollo 13 mission which did not land on the Moon.

Plaques deployed

Apollo 16 Lunar Module

• Apollo 11 plaque inscription: "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. 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'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."^[2]

(Signatures: Neil A. Armstrong; Michael Collins; Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.; Richard Nixon, President, United States of America)

• Apollo 12 plaque inscription: Apollo 12 November 1969 (Signatures: Charles Conrad, Jr.; Richard F. Gordon, Jr.; Alan L. Bean)
• Apollo 13 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 plaque inscription: Apollo 14 Antares February 1971 (Signatures: Alan B. Shepard, Jr.; Stuart A. Roosa; Edgar D. Mitchell)
• Apollo 15 plaque inscription: Apollo 15 Falcon July 1971 (Signatures: David R. Scott; Alfred M. Worden; James B. Irwin)
• Apollo 16 plaque inscription: Apollo 16 Orion April 1972 (Signatures: John W. Young; Thomas K. Mattingly II; Charles M. Duke, Jr.)
• Apollo 17 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; Ronald E. Evans; Harrison H. Schmitt; Richard Nixon, President, United States of America).

Plaques gallery