On November 14, 1969, Cape Canaveral was not the picturesque launch site one might hope for; the skies were shrouded in heavy clouds, and rain poured down while fierce winds howled through the atmosphere. It was a turbulent day for a monumental launch, but with a historic mission to reach the Surveyor crater, NASA pressed on—especially with President Richard Nixon attending to witness a crewed space launch for the first time.

As the Saturn V rocket roared to life, Commander Charles "Pete" Conrad, Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean, and Command Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon took off into the stormy sky. Just 14 seconds into the launch, the powerful engines propelled the vehicle past the launch tower. However, things quickly took a dramatic turn.

The Shocking Moment!

At just 22 seconds after liftoff, disaster struck—the rocket was hit by lightning, sending a bolt all the way back to the ground through its launch tower. This dangerous phenomenon happened due to static discharge, as the rocket navigated through the chaotic weather while climbing at a staggering speed of 280.9 km/h (174.6 mph). With no time to spare for panic, the crew faced an immediate crisis as lightning disrupted their systems.

"The flight was extremely normal for the first 36 seconds, and after that it got very interesting," Conrad famously recalled later. It’s worth noting that "interesting" isn’t usually the term you want to hear when you’re aboard a towering explosive device, racing faster than the speed of sound!

Battling the Storm and System Failure

The first lightning strike caused the fuel cells to shut down, leaving the spacecraft reliant solely on backup batteries—an insufficient power arrangement for their mission. Panic settled in among the crew as they reported a complete power loss to mission control.

Chaos ensued: - 37 seconds in: Gordon exclaimed, "What the hell was that?" - Just moments later, Conrad replied, "Huh?" - Then Gordon noted, "I lost a whole bunch of stuff; I don't know..."

A Heroic Rescue at Mission Control!

In a twist of fate, the mission control team, led by Electrical, Environmental, and Consumables Manager John Aaron, recalled a similar power failure from a previous test. He had the perfect solution: switch to auxiliary power. Fortunately, Alan Bean was familiar with the fix, and they quickly implemented the change.

The switch worked! Despite the shocking ordeal, Saturn V sustained minimal damage, and the command module had only minor issues. However, concern lingered about the possibility of lightning damaging the parachute release bolts for their return trip.

Triumphant Return!

But the mission forged ahead. Against all odds, Conrad and Bean landed on the Moon with remarkable precision, and alongside Gordon, they safely returned to Earth. The double lightning strike, while terrifying, ultimately turned into a mere footnote in the extraordinary saga of Apollo 12.

This harrowing experience not only tested the mettle of the astronauts but also showcased the remarkable resilience of NASA's team and technologies.