Pete Conrad

American astronaut and lunar explorer (1930–1999)

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Lived 1930–1999, aged 69United States

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Wikipedia
54 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1930–1999
Aged 69
Known for
On Camera: Fifteen Apo…
2019

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

Third man on the Moon, first words allegedly off-script: "Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me." The wisecrack wasn't captured live, but the step was—Apollo 12's commander proving a lightning-struck Saturn V could still thread the needle.

Biography

About

Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. was born in Philadelphia in 1930 and fought through dyslexia to earn an aeronautical engineering degree from Princeton, making him the first Ivy Leaguer to fly for NASA. He joined the Navy in 1954, flew fighters, became a test pilot, and tried out for Mercury in 1959 but didn't make the cut. NASA's second astronaut class took him in 1962. In 1965 he set an eight-day endurance record on Gemini 5 with Gordon Cooper; a year later he commanded Gemini 11. Apollo 12 came in 1969—the precision landing Armstrong's mission couldn't attempt. His last spaceflight, Skylab 2 in 19…

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