Charles Conrad conducted the first precise lunar landing near a preselected target during Apollo 12.
Conrad commanded Apollo 12 and piloted the lunar module Intrepid to the Ocean of Storms on 19 November 1969. The landing occurred close to the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, an uncrewed probe that had reached the Moon in 1967. This accuracy demonstrated that future missions could target scientifically valuable locations rather than landing only in broad, relatively safe regions.
Apollo 12’s crew also included lunar module pilot Alan Bean and command module pilot Richard Gordon. Conrad and Bean examined Surveyor 3, collected samples, and deployed scientific instruments during two lunar surface excursions.
Apollo 11 had achieved the first crewed lunar landing, but its landing point was chosen with safety as the overriding priority. Apollo 12 showed that crewed lunar missions could combine safe touchdown with much more deliberate site selection.