Apollo 12 was the world's second manned lunar landing. The flight demonstrated the spacecraft's pinpoint landing capability, touching down within 600 feet of the Surveyor 3 spacecraft. The Surveyor 3 was an unmanned U.S. satellite that soft-landed on the Moon on April 17, 1967. It had returned TV pictures and data on the lunar surface by digging up a soil sample with its scoop. The crew performed two EVA's and collected rock samples as they walked more than a mile from the spacecraft. Parts were taken off the Surveyor 3. The flight marked the largest payload returned from the lunar surface. After 31 hours and 31 minutes on the lunar surface, the LM ascent stage lifted off and rendezvoused with the Command Service Module for the return trip to Earth. The astronauts landed in the Mid-Pacific on November 24, after a flight of 244 hours, 36 minutes (10 days, four hours, 36 minutes). Moon rock samples were distributed to the scientific community.

1969, 11:22 AM EST Launch Vehicle: Saturn V Crew: Commander: Charles Conrad, Jr. Command Service Module Pilot: Richard F. Gordon, Jr. Lunar Module Pilot: Alan L. Bean