HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH
FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON
JULY 1969 A.D.
WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND
The original Apollo 11 Moon plaque is attached to the ladder on the descent stage of the lunar module "Eagle". It is made from one-sixteenth inch stainless steel measuring nine inches by seven and five-eighths inches, and was "rolled" to conform to the curvature of the landing gear strut. It is located between the third and fourth rungs of the ladder, and is attached to it by four stainless steel straps. A thinner sheet of stainless steel protected the plaque during flight and was removed once on the lunar surface.
On Sunday, July 20, 1969 at 4:18 PM Eastern Standard Time, the "Eagle" landed in a region of the Earth's Moon called the Mare Tranquilitatis, also known as the Sea of Tranquility. "Tranquility Base" is located approximately twelve miles south-southwest of the crater Sabine D in the southwestern region of the Sea of Tranquility at 0 degrees 41 minutes 15 seconds North latitude, by 23 degrees 26 minutes East longitude.
The plaque is the first of seven that were flown on all the lunar landing missions. This plaque depicts the two hemispheres of the Earth and bears a special proclamation that was read by astronaut Neil Armstrong and beamed back to Earth for the benefit of a world television audience.
Inscribed at the bottom of the plaque are the signatures of astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. as well as the signature of then-President of the United States, Richard Nixon.