Apollo 11 Moon plaque. View through the ladder of the Apollo 11 landing module (the Eagle) of the commemorative plaque (centre) that is attached to a strut on the lander's landing gear. This was the first manned lunar landing mission, touching down on 20 July 1969. This lower section of the Eagle, together with the plaque, remained behind as the Eagle's upper stage separated and ascended to the command module in lunar orbit. The plaque shows maps of both of Earth's hemispheres, with a caption that says: insHere Men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.ins It is signed by the three astronauts and by Richard Nixon, then president of the United States of America.