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
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong Man" project in the mid-2010s. Damien Chazelle, a director receiving critical acclaim for his work in 2016's "La La Land", signed onto the film's production. Actor Ryan Gosling, who starred in "La La Land", joined as well. Given his role as the book's author, Hansen was attached to co-produce the movie. First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong is the official biography of Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who became the first man to walk on the Moon, on July 20, 1969. The book was written by James R. Hansen, and was