By: BHS Features Staff
November 13, 2024
In 1969, Apollo 12 was launched. Fast forward to the present, tomorrow (November 14) will be the 55th anniversary of that launch.
Apollo 12’s mission was to collect items from the Surveyor III spacecraft, including the camera on the Surveyor III, to see the exposure effects of the lunar environment.
Former President John F. Kennedy aimed to expand on Apollo 11’s achievements. Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969. Neil Armstrong was the commander of this mission, making him the first man on the moon.
During the first minute of Apollo 12, the spacecraft was twice struck by lightning. Despite this occurrence, this was the second successful mission for landing on the moon.
NASA chose three astronauts for this landing. The crew of this legendary flight was Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr., Alan Bean, and Richard Gordon, Jr. The mission lasted ten days and four hours. Even though Conrad, Jr. had dyslexia, he still never gave up on his dream of becoming an astronaut.
Command Module Pilot Gordon stayed in lunar orbit until Apollo 12 could land safely. He took pictures of the site, which proved crucial to ensuring safety.
Commander Conrad, Jr. and Lunar Module Pilot Bean were in charge of landing the Lunar Module. They landed the Module in the “Ocean of Storms,” around 535 feet from a robotic lander named Surveyor III. This landing demonstrated that precision landing is capable, allowing NASA to do future missions in more difficult and scientifically-valuable locations.
Once the Lunar Module landed, Conrad, Jr. shouted in excitement when he stepped on the surface. This action also captured the excitement of many people who were enthralled about the successful return to the moon.
Conrad, Jr. and Bean were reportedly on the moon for 31.6 hours, setting up experiments. Those experiments would continue to relay radio information until September of 1977. Among the information that was radioed back was a seismometer that detected thousands of moonquakes. This helped NASA determine the moon’s interior.
During the mission, the camera broadcasting the astronauts’ work on television was accidentally damaged. This left the people who were watching the event on TV to rely solely on audio.
Bean then decided to paint a series of pictures, so everyone could get a glimpse of Apollo 12. To see those pictures, visit The Alan Bean Gallery.
A common question about moon landings is why we no longer go to the moon. Apollo 17 was the last moon landing, and this occurred on December 7, 1972. The main reason moon landings stopped is because of the amount of money it takes to build the equipment. The price is absolutely out of this world! The cost is estimated to be around $257 Billion, adjusted to inflation dollars as of 2020.
Pete Conrad, Jr. once stated: “Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but it’s a long one for me!”
Who knew a moon landing would be so astronomical?
{Information is sourced from History Navy, NASA, LPI, Air and Space, and Royal Museums.}
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 