Charles "Pete" Conrad

Charles "Pete" Conrad was an American naval officer, aviator, and NASA astronaut, and the third person to walk on the Moon. A member of NASA's second astronaut class, he flew four space missions, commanding both Apollo 12 and the first crewed mission to the Skylab space station. Known for his technical expertise, leadership, and irrepressible wit, Conrad played a pivotal role in the Apollo program and the early era of space station operations.

Early life and education

Charles Conrad Jr. was born on June 2, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He struggled with dyslexia, which went undiagnosed during his youth, leading to academic challenges. After being expelled from the prestigious Haverford School, he attended the Darrow School in New York, where a supportive teacher helped him develop successful learning strategies. He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton University in 1953, where he was also a member of the Tiger Inn eating club and participated in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Naval and test pilot career

After graduating from Princeton University, Conrad was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy. He completed flight training at the Naval Air Station Pensacola and became a naval aviator. He served as a fighter pilot and flight instructor before being selected to attend the United States Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. As a test pilot, Conrad flew a wide variety of aircraft and earned a reputation for exceptional skill and cool judgment. His performance in this demanding field made him a prime candidate for NASA's astronaut selection process.

NASA career

Conrad was selected as part of NASA Astronaut Group 2 in 1962, a group often called "The New Nine." His first spaceflight was as pilot of the Gemini 5 mission in 1965, an eight-day endurance flight commanded by Gordon Cooper that set a new spaceflight duration record. He later commanded Gemini 11 in 1966 with pilot Richard F. Gordon Jr., executing a direct-ascent rendezvous and docking with an Agena target vehicle and achieving a then-record high Earth orbit. Following the Apollo 1 fire, Conrad served on the investigation board. He was then assigned to command Apollo 12, the second lunar landing mission. After the Apollo program, he commanded the first crewed mission, Skylab 2, to the damaged Skylab space station in 1973, where his crew's successful repairs saved the entire program.

Apollo 12 mission

Launched on November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was struck by lightning twice during ascent, temporarily scrambling the spacecraft's instrumentation. The quick thinking of Conrad and his crew, along with ground support from Mission Control and flight controller John Aaron, saved the mission. Conrad and lunar module pilot Alan Bean landed the Lunar Module Intrepid in the Ocean of Storms, near the site of the unmanned Surveyor 3 probe. Upon stepping onto the lunar surface, Conrad humorously remarked, "Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me." The crew conducted two moonwalks, deploying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package and retrieving parts from Surveyor 3 for analysis back on Earth.

Post-NASA career and legacy

Conrad retired from NASA and the United States Navy in 1973. He subsequently held executive positions at American Television and Communications Corporation and McDonnell Douglas, where he worked on commercial space initiatives. He was a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and multiple NASA Distinguished Service Medal awards. Tragically, Conrad died on July 8, 1999, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident near Ojai, California. He is remembered as one of the most capable and charismatic figures of the early space age, whose contributions were critical to the success of both the Apollo program and Skylab.

Category:American astronauts Category:Apollo astronauts Category:United States Navy officers Category:1930 births Category:1999 deaths