50 Years Ago, Apollo 12 Astronauts Walked on the Moon. They Had the Funniest Crew

News
By
published

Pete Conrad can be heard singing to himself while bouncing around on the moon.

Apollo 11 may have made history as the first mission to land humans on the moon, but Apollo 12, which landed on the moon 50 years ago today, apparently had the funniest crew, according to NPR.

In the audio interview above from NPR's Morning Edition, NPR correspondent Geof Brumfiel and Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony, the curator of the Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, discuss the often overlooked charm of Apollo 12. 

They begin by noting that it's common for Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 (because of its depiction in the film "Apollo 13" starring actor Tom Hanks) to overshadow Apollo 12. However, Apollo 12 was eventful from the get go. 

Video: Stormy Launch to the Ocean of Storms 
More: Apollo 12 Was Struck By Lightning Right After Launch ... Twice! 

To start off, just seconds after launching, the rocket carrying Apollo 12 astronauts commander Charles "Pete" Conrad, lunar module pilot Alan Bean and command module pilot Richard "Dick" Gordon was struck by lightning — twice! Luckily, with some quick thinking from NASA's team on the ground, the crew got safely to and from the moon. 

Related: Apollo 12 in Pictures: NASA's Pinpoint Moon Landing Mission

Image 1 of 10
NASA's Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Pete Conrad (left), Richard Gordon (center) and Alan Bean smile in an isolation room after returning from the moon on Nov. 24, 1969.
NASA's Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Pete Conrad (left), Richard Gordon (center) and Alan Bean smile in an isolation room after returning from the moon on Nov. 24, 1969.(Image credit: NASA)

But, while the mission may have gotten off to a stormy start, the crew managed to keep things lighthearted. Conrad took a mixtape to the moon, and in the audio recordings of the mission (some of which are included in the interview), you can hear Conrad singing to himself while bouncing around on the lunar surface and all of the crew members cracking jokes and laughing with one another. 

So take a listen for yourself above, and delight in the surprisingly whimsical moments from Apollo 12. 

Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

All About Space Holiday 2019

Need more space? Subscribe to our sister title "All About Space" Magazine for the latest amazing news from the final frontier! (Image credit: All About Space)

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Chelsea Gohd
Chelsea Gohd
Senior Writer

Chelsea “Foxanne” Gohd joined Space.com in 2018 and is now a Senior Writer, writing about everything from climate change to planetary science and human spaceflight in both articles and on-camera in videos. With a degree in Public Health and biological sciences, Chelsea has written and worked for institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, Scientific American, Discover Magazine Blog, Astronomy Magazine and Live Science. When not writing, editing or filming something space-y, Chelsea "Foxanne" Gohd is writing music and performing as Foxanne, even launching a song to space in 2021 with Inspiration4. You can follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd and @foxannemusic.