"NASA – The Apollo 11 commemorative plaque before it was ins - Lot 112

"NASA – The Apollo 11 commemorative plaque before it was installed on the *Eagle* lunar module, July 1969. A rare photograph taken a few days before the launch of Apollo 11, showing the commemorative plaque intended to be attached to one of the legs of the Eagle lunar module’s ladder. Protected until the very last moment by a metal cover, it is revealed here, displaying the inscription that would become one of the most famous texts in the history of space exploration: > HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON, JULY 1969 A.D. > WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND. This plaque, which also bears the signatures of the three astronauts—Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, *Dwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin Jr.—as well as that of President Richard M. Nixon, was left on the Moon on July 21, 1969 (UTC), after the astronauts departed. Still in place today, it stands as one of the most powerful physical testimonies to humanity’s first presence on another world. This photograph captures an object destined to become a universal symbol of space exploration and humanity’s scientific ambition. Vintage silver gelatin print. Dimensions: 25.5 × 20.6 cm (with margins). "