Which planet is named on the Apollo 11 lunar plaque?

The Apollo 11 lunar plaque names Earth as the planet whose people first set foot on the Moon. Its inscription begins, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D.”

The stainless-steel plaque was attached to the descent stage of the lunar module Eagle and left permanently at the landing site. It also carries the signatures of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and President Richard Nixon, followed by the message, “We came in peace for all mankind.”

The wording emphasized that the landing was a human achievement, even though it was carried out by the United States. The plaque therefore says “planet Earth,” not the United States, NASA, or the Moon. Jupiter, Venus, and Mars are not named in the Apollo 11 inscription.

Later Apollo missions carried related plaques with mission-specific inscriptions. Apollo 17’s plaque marked the completion of the first series of lunar explorations, while the Apollo 11 plaque commemorated the first human landing.