<img alt=“plaque.jpg” src=“https://blogs.nature.com/news/blog/plaque.jpg” width=“227” height=“300” align=right border=0 hspace=10px/>

Apollo 11 astronauts would leave a miniature inscription, an American flag, and a plaque on the Moon to commemorate their landing, according to a NASA press release.

The inscription contained quotations from US Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, messages of goodwill from the leaders of 73 countries, the names of congressional leaders and members of four congressional committees responsible for NASA legislation and the names of NASA’s management, past and present. The message was shrunk 200 times and etched on a 3.6 cm silicon disc using electronic circuit-board-making techniques.

The crew would also erect a US flag held up with tubing.

Finally, the descent stage of the Eagle, which would be left behind, bore a plaque with images of the Earth and read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” President Nixon’s name appeared beneath the names of the Apollo 11 crew.

Photo: NASA

<img alt=“plaque.jpg” src=“https://blogs.nature.com/news/blog/plaque.jpg” width=“227” height=“300” align=right border=0 hspace=10px/>

Apollo 11 astronauts would leave a miniature inscription, an American flag, and a plaque on the Moon to commemorate their landing, according to a NASA press release.

The inscription contained quotations from US Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, messages of goodwill from the leaders of 73 countries, the names of congressional leaders and members of four congressional committees responsible for NASA legislation and the names of NASA’s management, past and present. The message was shrunk 200 times and etched on a 3.6 cm silicon disc using electronic circuit-board-making techniques.

The crew would also erect a US flag held up with tubing.

Finally, the descent stage of the Eagle, which would be left behind, bore a plaque with images of the Earth and read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” President Nixon’s name appeared beneath the names of the Apollo 11 crew.

Photo: NASA