Apollo 12 was the sixth crewed mission in NASA's Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. Apollo 12 was launched from Kennedy Space Center on a Saturn V rocket, with the mission proceeding despite being struck by lightning twice shortly after liftoff. The lightning strikes caused a temporary power loss and telemetry issues, but quick actions by the crew and ground control restored normal operations. Upon reaching the Moon, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit. The Command Module "Yankee Clipper," piloted by Gordon, remained in orbit while Conrad and Bean descended to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module "Intrepid." Conrad and Bean conducted two moonwalks (extravehicular activities or EVAs) totaling about 7 hours and 45 minutes. They deployed scientific instruments, including the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), and collected 34.3 kilograms (75.6 pounds) of lunar samples.

After completing their lunar surface activities, Conrad and Bean returned to the Lunar Module, which then ascended to dock with the Command Module. The crew performed a transearth injection to return to Earth. Apollo 12 safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and was recovered by the USS Hornet, the same recovery ship used for Apollo 11.