page_title: Romania lunar sample displays
section_title: Apollo 17
hierarchical_section_title: Romania lunar sample displays / Description / Apollo 17
caption_attribution_description: Apollo 17 Goodwill message placque
context_page_description: The Romania lunar sample displays are two commemorative plaques consisting of small fragments of Moon specimen brought back with the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 lunar missions and given in the 1970s to the people of Romania by United States President Richard Nixon as goodwill gifts.
context_section_description: The Romanian Apollo 11 lunar sample display commemorative style plaque (10 by 14 inches) consists of one "Moon rock" particle specimen that was cut from lunar basalt 70017 and a Romanian flag. The basalt 70017 was collected by Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt on the Moon in 1972. Once lunar basalt 70017 was brought back to Earth from the Moon, the basalt Moon rock was cut up into small fragments of approximately 1 gram. The specimen was enveloped in a plastic ball and mounted on the wooden plaque along with the Romanian flag which had been taken to the Moon and back by the crew of Apollo 17. The plaque was then distributed in 1973 by President Richard Nixon to Romania as he did that year to 134 other countries worldwide (the same as for the Apollo 11 plaque gifts). This was done as a goodwill gesture to promote peace and harmony.
caption: Message on Apollo 17 plaque
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