This Apollo 11 commemorative medal was struck by the Japanese Mint for presentation at the American embassy in Tokyo upon the occasion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969, and returned to Earth eight days later. It was the fifth human spaceflight in the program and the first to land humans on the Moon. Over 500 million people around the world watched Neil Armstrong's televised image and heard his voice as he took his historic first step on the Moon on July 20. Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin, Jr. were the other two astronauts.
Space medal collector Thomas Becker donated this medal to the National Collection in 1972.
