# The Vital Success of Apollo 12: A Landmark Mission in Space Exploration
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Introduction to Apollo 12's Significance
The accomplishment of Apollo 12, often overshadowed by more dramatic missions, played a crucial role in the continuation of space exploration efforts.
Amidst the chaos of launch, Pete Conrad found himself bewildered. One moment, he was cheerfully commenting on a "beautiful lift-off," and the next, the master alarm blared in his headset. While he was the only crew member who had noticed the flash outside, the three astronauts scrambled to decipher the anomaly.
Conrad was destined for flight. Only Dick Gordon, seated next to him, could match his skill. An exceptional simulator pilot, Conrad faced every challenge with a wry sense of humor and a laid-back confidence that masked the seriousness of their mission. Yet, nothing in their training had prepared them for this. Still, he maintained a calm demeanor as he reported, "We had everything in the world drop out."
Reflecting on the flash, he speculated whether it had been lightning, a thought that turned out to be correct. As Apollo 12 ascended, it was struck by lightning not once, but twice. The ionized gas emitted by the Saturn V rocket trailed down to the launch pad, and heavy rains earlier that day had already posed threats to the mission. With Apollo 12 acting as the world’s longest lightning rod, it took just 36 seconds for it to attract a bolt. This surge of electricity wreaked havoc on the command module's computer, leading to a chaotic state on board.
In Mission Control, flight controller John W. Aaron monitored the telemetry data and recalled a simulation from the previous year that had produced similarly perplexing results. Amidst the flashing lights and frantic activity, he calmly instructed, "Flight, try S-C-E to Aux." Although his colleagues were puzzled by the directive, it was communicated to the astronauts. Only pilot Alan L. Bean remembered the switch's location, and once he activated the S-C-E [Signal Conditioning Alert] to its auxiliary function — allowing for low-voltage control — telemetry readings suddenly stabilized.
As the situation settled, Conrad humorously remarked over the radio, "That'll give them something to write about tonight."
The Turbulent Year of 1968
The year 1968 was tumultuous for America, marked by the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., violent confrontations, the Tet Offensive, and significant losses in Vietnam. Journalist Matthew Twombly described it as "the year that shattered America." While Apollo 8's lunar orbit had marked a significant achievement for the U.S. in the space race, the deadline for landing a man on the Moon set by John F. Kennedy loomed ever closer.
Originally intended for testing the Lunar Module in low Earth orbit, Apollo 8's mission was a bold gamble, particularly given the tight timeframe. With the Soviets closing in on their own lunar goals, command pilot Jim Lovell asserted, "It was a time for bold moves." The U.S. had to reach the Moon by 1969.
Many within NASA were surprised when Pete Conrad was not chosen for the first lunar landing. He felt disappointment as he watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take their first steps on the lunar surface from Mission Control. However, he noted the difficulties faced in locating Apollo 11's Lunar Module after it landed four miles off course.
While Apollo 11 represented a monumental achievement in human history, the subsequent mission just a few months later held perhaps even greater significance for the Apollo program. Successfully landing men on the Moon before 1970 fulfilled Kennedy's vision, but merely sending men to the Moon was insufficient. The disruption of plans for Apollo 11 due to the Lunar Module's off-target landing highlighted the need for precision in future missions.
With the spotlight on Apollo 11 and the setbacks of Apollo 13, Apollo 12 has often been overlooked in public memory. Yet, the success of this second lunar mission was essential: a triumph would pave the way for Apollos 13 through 17, while failure could have spelled disaster for the entire program.
NASA had faced numerous challenges before. Neil Armstrong and David Scott narrowly escaped tragedy during the 1966 Gemini 8 mission. Apollo 10 nearly crashed into the lunar surface in May 1969 due to duplicated commands, and the tragic loss of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967 cast a long shadow over the program. Each incident had a profound impact on the lunar initiative.
However, in the face of potential disaster, Conrad, Gordon, and Bean radiated an infectious camaraderie. Unlike the serious tone of Apollo 11 or the weighty biblical reference of Apollo 8, the Apollo 12 crew was full of nervous excitement. They engaged in laughter and listened to music en route to the Moon. "People need some entertainment on these flights," Conrad remarked. "You can't just look out the window."
The Unique Crew of Apollo 12
The Apollo 12 crew was not only highly skilled but also committed to having fun. Conrad and Gordon, best friends known for their practical jokes, were complemented perfectly by Bean's meticulousness.
"You got anything else to do tomorrow?" Conrad quipped as they approached their landing. "We'll go for a little Moon landing, how's that?"
This lightheartedness, however, masked the professionalism and sense of duty that enveloped the mission. Following Sam Phillips's declaration in the Apollo 11 control room, "Next time, I want a pinpoint landing," Conrad took it to heart. Despite his disappointment at not being selected for Apollo 11, he understood the importance of Apollo 12 for the program's future.
As the astronauts neared the Moon, nerves were high. "I'm about as jumpy as I can be this morning," Bean confessed on launch day.
Understanding the Lunar Surface
The dark plains known as lunar maria mar the Moon's light surface. While the far side remains relatively untouched, nearly one-third of the near side is dominated by these expansive basaltic plains. Despite their name, the maria have never contained water; they are believed to have formed from a cataclysmic cosmic impact. As the largest topographical features on the Moon, they are easily visible from Earth and provide ideal landing sites for spacecraft.
Mare Tranquillitatis, the landing site of Apollo 11, is perhaps the most famous of these maria. For Apollo 12, the focus was on the Moon's equator, where younger rock and dust indicated a different geological composition. Oceanus Procellarum, the largest of the Moon's maria at almost 1,800 miles wide, had been targeted by NASA’s unmanned Surveyor 3 in 1967, providing a reliable reference point for the upcoming landing.
As the Lunar Module Intrepid descended towards the Surveyor 3 crater, Conrad faced a thick dust cloud. Despite all the mechanical preparation, he found himself relying on instinct to guide the craft safely down.
Unable to see through the haze, he leveled off early, reducing much of the descent speed. As the Lunar Module hovered down, he transitioned from the window view to the instrument panel he helped design. This was the moment he would truly pilot Apollo 12, aiming for a landing that would set a standard for future missions.
Reliant on his instruments yet unsure of their accuracy, he navigated by instinct, drawing from countless hours of simulation training. When he finally saw the blue flash of the contact lights, he shut off the engine, and the module gently descended the final feet. Reassured by Bean's shout of, "Good landing, Pete! Outstanding," he knew they had succeeded.
As the sun rose over Houston on November 19, 1969, Conrad stepped onto the Moon’s surface. With a playful nod to his predecessor, he declared, "That may have been a small one for Neil, but it's a long one for me."
Upon his return, Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci had gathered $500 for Conrad, convinced that Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step" line had been scripted by NASA. She had bet Conrad that he could not come up with his own original statement, a bet she lost.
Mission Success and its Aftermath
Just 600 feet from the landing pad, Conrad spotted Surveyor 3. Congratulations and cheers echoed from Houston, confirming the mission's success.
Unlike Michael Collins, who envied his crewmates their lunar time, Dick Gordon watched from the Yankee Clipper, sharing in their experience as they conducted experiments and tasks on the Moon's surface over the next three and a half hours. His moment of triumph came when he saw just how close Intrepid and Surveyor 3 were, a testament to the mission's success.
As Bean and Conrad executed their tasks, collecting samples and deploying NASA's ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package) to monitor seismic activity and solar wind composition, Gordon prepared for the critical 14-second burn to align the command module for the Lunar Module's return.
He asked Bean and Conrad to pause their chatter while he consulted with Mission Control. Everything seemed to take longer for Gordon, who was tired, hungry, and anxious.
While Pete Conrad felt pride in Apollo 12's accomplishment, he also sensed an anticlimactic feeling as he stepped off the Lunar Module. Years of hard work had dulled his sense of wonder. What he would remember most was Dick Gordon’s beaming face as he welcomed them back to the Yankee Clipper, the camaraderie shared, and the laughter that accompanied their historic journey.
Following Apollo 12, public enthusiasm for lunar missions waned. The fervor ignited by John F. Kennedy slowly diminished—only to be briefly rekindled by the struggles of Apollo 13. NASA recognized the scientific value of returning to the Moon, but dwindling public interest and funding led to the program's cancellation after Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Legacy of Apollo 12
It is easy to view these missions and their astronauts as isolated incidents, their names etched into history. However, the individuals involved in the Apollo program dedicated years to its development, forming strong bonds and collaborating tirelessly to achieve their goals. They succeeded not just once, but repeatedly, until the process of lunar exploration became a refined art.
The legacy of Apollo 12 lies in its precise landing, which set a standard for future lunar missions. Had the lightning strikes that disrupted the command module forced an abort—likely resulting in the astronauts' deaths—the entire Apollo initiative would have faced significant setbacks. The tragic loss of Grissom, Chaffee, and White in Apollo 1 had already raised profound questions about the program's viability; losing Apollo 12 could have jeopardized its continuation.
Luck played a role in the mission's success: had John Aaron not recalled similar telemetry data from a prior simulation, he might not have known to switch the signal conditioning equipment to its auxiliary function. Similarly, if he had been stationed elsewhere, or if Bean had not known where the S-C-E was located, critical seconds could have been lost. However, for NASA, success was not merely a matter of chance.
Described as one of NASA's "finest hours," the achievement of Apollo 12 stemmed from meticulous planning, training, and the dedication of the personnel responsible for flight control.
Ultimately, it was people who made Apollo 12 possible. Individuals who put humans on the Moon—engineers, technicians, mathematicians, and especially the astronauts like Dick Gordon, Al Bean, and Pete Conrad—were pivotal in ensuring the Apollo program's survival.
This piece was originally featured in History Today Volume 69 Issue 12 December 2019.