Title / object name Moon Rock Sample with Presentation Plaque and Flag
| Maker | Role | Date |
| Technical Services Division Manned Spacecraft Center | after | 1972 |
Materials rock, wood, plastic, cloth, metal
| Dimensions |
| Overall | 365 (Height) x 260 (Width) x 60 (Depth) mm |
Classification plaques, flags, realia, samples
Registration Number GH003202
Credit LineGift of the People of the United States of America, 1973.
Sample of moon rock, brought back to Earth by the Apollo XVI lunar landing mission. The landing took place on 11 December 1972, in the Taurus Littrow Valley, and three astronauts spent just over 3 days on the Moon. The sample of rock, and a small New Zealand flag that had been taken to the Moon, was presented to the people of New Zealand by the President of the United States, Richard M Nixon, in 1973.
The inscriptions read:
"This fragment is a portion of a rock from the Taurus Littrow Valley of the Moon. It is given as a symbol of the unity of human endeavor and carries with it the hope of the American people for a world at peace."
" This flag of your nation was carried to the Moon aboard Spacecraft America during the Apollo XVII mission, December 7 - 19, 1972. Presented to the people of NEW ZEALAND. From the people of the United States of America. RICHARD NIXON 1973."