Dec 6

Space Rocket History #235 – Apollo 12 – Introduction

Posted on December 6, 2017

At NASA Headquarters, George Mueller and other planners created a far-reaching plan that Administrator Paine made even more ambitious in adapting it for Nixon’s Space Task Group. The task group’s timetable called for a twelve-man space station and a ...

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P1-Apollo 12 Emblem

Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Intrepid, Yankee Clipper

Jan 31

Space Rocket History #241 – Apollo 12 – The Launch Part 1

Posted on January 31, 2018

It was 68 degrees, overcast, and raining at Cape Kennedy on November 14, 1969. The ceiling was 2,100 feet and the winds were light. There was some discussion, while the astronauts were suiting-up, of scrubbing the launch, but that would mean ramping ...

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Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon

Feb 14

Space Rocket History #243 – Apollo 12 – TLI and the Coast

Posted on February 14, 2018

It was impossible to check out the entire spacecraft; that could only be done on the ground. In the short time available, Grifﬁn’s team ran a pre-maneuver check list, re-aligned the CSM platform, and discussed proceeding with the mission with the cre...

P3-A12 leaving Earth

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Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Translunar

Feb 21

Space Rocket History #244 – Apollo 12 – Lunar Orbit

Posted on February 21, 2018

At 83 hours mission elapsed time, the long lunar coast was almost over. It was time for the lunar orbit insertion burn. This burn would put Yankee Clipper and Intrepid into lunar orbit.

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Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Snowman

Feb 28

Space Rocket History #245 – Apollo 12 – Pin Point Landing Part 1 – Right Down the Middle of the Road

Posted on February 28, 2018

There was adrenaline in Pete Conrad’s voice as he counted down the last seconds before ignition. He and Bean were still weightless, but their bodies were secured to the cabin floor by harnesses. “Seven, six, five.” Conrad pushed the PROCEED button o...

P3-Apollo 12 landing site photgraphed by LROC

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Tagged:Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Reed, Sevier, Snowman, Tindall

Mar 7

Space Rocket History #246 – Apollo 12 – Pin Point Landing Part 2 – Right Down the Middle of the Road

Posted on March 7, 2018

“Hey, there it is! There it is! Son of a gun, right down the middle of the road! Look out there! I can’t believe it! Fantastic!” Pete Conrad when he saw his landing site.

P3-Landing legend

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P1-Mission Control, Apollo 12- from l to r, director of flight operations Chris Kraft, flight director Gerry Griffin, and, third from right, in glasses, EECOM John Aaron

Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Intrepid, Landing

Mar 21

Space Rocket History #248 – Apollo 12 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 2 – ALSEP

Posted on March 21, 2018

According to the checklist, Bean was allowed 5 minutes to gain his balance and learn to walk on the Moon. Bean was amazed at his new buoyancy saying, “You can jump up in the air…” But Conrad wanted to press on saying, “Hustle, boy, hustle! We’ve got...

P3-EVA1 checklist

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Tagged:Alsep, Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Intrepid

Mar 28

Space Rocket History #249 – Apollo 12 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 3

Posted on March 28, 2018

Most of the remaining moon walk time was spent collecting rock samples, making surface observations such as the small mounds or hills, and taking pictures.

P3-Pete at the mesa AS12-47-6988

P2-HeAintHeavy by Al Bean

P1-Middle Cresent Crater

Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Intrepid

May 23

Space Rocket History #255 – Apollo 12 – Lunar Liftoff

Posted on May 23, 2018

After a total of 31.6 hours on the moon, the Lunar Module ascent stage fired for about 7 minutes placing Intrepid into an orbit of 10 miles by 54 miles.

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P3-Pan view out of the windows of LMa12pan1354548

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Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Liftoff

May 30

Space Rocket History #256 – Apollo 12 – Leaving the Moon

Posted on May 30, 2018

Dick Gordon opened the tunnel to Intrepid, saw his companions floating in a dirty cloud of moon dust, and slammed the hatch closed. He called out, “You guys ain’t gonna mess up my nice clean spacecraft!”

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Tagged:Apollo 12, Ascent Stage, Bean, Conrad, Gordon

Jun 6

Space Rocket History #257 – Apollo 12 – Return, Re-entry and Splashdown

Posted on June 6, 2018

Ten days ago, their Saturn V rocket had blasted Bean and his crew mates out of earth’s gravitational pull. Now their home planet was pulling them back at more than 24,000 miles per hour, twelve times faster than a high-speed rifle bullet. “Boy,” said...

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Tagged:Apollo 12, Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Splashdown

Episodes Tagged with "Gordon"