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Astronaut Profile

Pete Conrad

Pilot

Pete Conrad flew Gemini 5 and commanded Gemini 11's record-altitude flight before commanding Apollo 12 and becoming the third person to walk on the Moon.

Pete Conrad astronaut portrait

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PilotDeceased

Biography

The person behind the mission

Charles 'Pete' Conrad Jr. was a U.S. Navy test pilot selected in NASA's second group of astronauts. He flew as pilot on Gemini 5's eight-day endurance flight in 1965, then commanded Gemini 11 in 1966, which reached a Gemini-program altitude record of roughly 850 miles using its docked Agena target vehicle. Conrad commanded Apollo 12 in November 1969, landing the Lunar Module Intrepid with pinpoint precision near the Surveyor 3 probe and becoming the third person to walk on the Moon. He later commanded Skylab 2, NASA's first crewed space station mission.

Astronaut Details

Born

June 2, 1930

Died

July 8, 1999

Birthplace

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Role

Pilot

Program

Gemini

Time in Space

49 days, 3 hours, 38 minutes

Missions

Gemini 5, Gemini 11, Apollo 12, Skylab 2

Recognition

Awards & Honors

  • Congressional Space Medal of Honor
  • NASA Distinguished Service Medal
  • Navy Distinguished Flying Cross

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