Pete Conrad the prime crew on the third following mission. If the swap of 8 and 9 had not occurred, Conrad might have commanded Apollo 11, the first mission to land on the Moon. On November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was launched with Conrad as Commander, Dick Gordon as Command Module Pilot, and Alan Bean as Lunar Module Pilot. The launch was the most harrowing of the Apollo program, as a series of lightning strikes just after liftoff temporarily knocked out power and guidance in the Command Module. Five days later, after stepping onto the lunar surface, Conrad joked about his own
NASA Astronaut Group 2 group (Lovell and Conrad) had been candidates for the original 7, but were not selected then for medical reasons. In addition, Group 2 became the first group with civilian test pilots in the group; See flew for General Electric, while Armstrong flew the X-15 research plane for NASA. Seven of the nine would receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for their service, valor, and sacrifice. Neil Armstrong, for being the first man on the moon (Apollo 11). Frank Borman, for commanding the first manned mission to the moon (Apollo 8). Pete Conrad, for commanding Skylab 2 and saving the