Apollo 11 Moon Plaque

Metal Plaque
6 in. by 9 in.
July 1969

The  plaque was left on the moon to mark the Apollo 11 moon landing.1 The metal plaque was attached to the bottom the lunar landing vehicle and later removed to leave behind.2 Futura is the typeface used on the plaque.

Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Paul Renner in 1927.3 The letterforms are derived from other geometric sans serif typefaces from the Art Deco movement. Because of its use in the U.S. military in WWII and later by the U.S. Air Force in 1950s, Futura became a typeface that represented authority. 4 In the 1960s, Futura was NASA’s official typeface.

In this plaque, type and image create a balanced composition. The circular forms of the letters mirror the circular forms of the globes. Here, Futura is used for both practical and political purposes. Names, “Neil A. Armstrong” and “Michael Collins,” offer information. Phrases, “We came in peace for all mankind,” make a political statement. Those words assert the United States as a global leader.

1 Petra Eisele, Annette Ludwig and Isabel Naegele. “How Futura became the first typeface to land on the Moon.” Wired, 28 October 2017.

2 ibid.

3 Thomas, Douglas. Never Use Futura. Chronicle Books, 2017.

4 ibid.