During Apollo 12's first Moonwalk, astronaut Alan Bean accidentally pointed the mission's new color TV camera at the Sun. The intense light damaged its vidicon tube and ended live television coverage from the lunar surface.
When Apollo 12 landed on the Moon in November 1969, NASA hoped to give people on Earth a better view of astronauts working on the lunar surface. Unlike Apollo 11, which used a black-and-white television camera, Apollo 12 carried a new color television camera.
But the improved television coverage lasted only a short time.
During the mission's first lunar EVA, astronaut Alan Bean accidentally pointed the camera directly toward the Sun while moving it into position. The intense sunlight damaged the camera's vidicon pickup tube, effectively ending live television transmission from the lunar surface. NASA later confirmed that the failure was caused by partial burnout of the tube.
Apollo 12 Was Supposed to Deliver Better Television
Apollo 12 was NASA's second crewed lunar landing and was designed to improve on the achievements of Apollo 11.
One of the upgrades was the television system. The mission carried a color camera developed by Westinghouse, allowing viewers on Earth to see the astronauts and the lunar landscape in color.
The camera was an important part of NASA's effort to bring the Moon closer to television audiences around the world.
Unfortunately, that plan changed almost immediately after the astronauts began working on the lunar surface.
What Happened to the Camera?
Alan Bean was carrying the television camera while preparing to mount it on a tripod near the lunar module.
During the process, the camera was inadvertently pointed toward the Sun.
According to NASA's historical account, the exposure damaged the camera's vidicon tube, which was the light-sensitive component responsible for converting the incoming image into a television signal. The damage ended the live television transmission from the Moon for the remainder of the mission.
The failure was not caused by a dramatic explosion or mechanical crash. Instead, an extremely bright source of light overwhelmed a sensitive piece of 1960s television technology.
Why Did Looking at the Sun Damage It?
The camera was designed to capture relatively controlled levels of light from the lunar environment.
The Sun was an entirely different challenge.
The Apollo television camera used a sensitive imaging tube. Direct exposure to the Sun concentrated an enormous amount of light onto the tube, causing damage to its light-sensitive surface.
NASA later described the problem as a partial burnout of the vidicon tube, consistent with the camera having accidentally been pointed toward the Sun.
In other words, the camera wasn't simply showing an extremely bright picture. Its imaging hardware itself had been damaged.
The Audience Suddenly Lost the Moon
The timing made the failure particularly unfortunate.
People on Earth had been watching the Apollo astronauts work on the lunar surface. The television camera was supposed to provide a continuous view of their activities.
After the accidental exposure, however, the live television feed was gone.
The astronauts could continue their work because the television camera was not essential to the scientific objectives of the mission. Apollo 12 successfully completed its lunar activities, including deploying scientific instruments and collecting lunar samples.
But from a public-relations perspective, losing the camera was a major disappointment.
Apollo 12's Mission Continued Successfully
The camera failure did not prevent Apollo 12 from achieving its primary objectives.
Commander Charles "Pete" Conrad and lunar module pilot Alan Bean conducted two lunar surface excursions. They deployed the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package and collected samples from the Moon.
Apollo 12 also achieved an important precision-landing milestone. The lunar module landed only about 538 feet from the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, which had reached the Moon years earlier.
So although millions of people lost their live view of the astronauts, the scientific and exploration goals of the mission continued.
NASA Learned From the Mistake
The camera failure also provided an important lesson for future missions.
NASA and its contractors modified procedures and equipment to reduce the possibility of another accidental exposure. Historical accounts note that a lens cap was added to help protect the camera when it was being repositioned.
Future lunar television systems were also improved.
The experience contributed to the development of a new camera system for later Apollo missions, including a more durable imaging tube.
The Camera's Failure Became Part of Apollo History
Today, the incident is remembered as one of those small but fascinating moments in the Apollo program.
Apollo missions involved extraordinary engineering, careful planning and extensive astronaut training. Yet even during one of humanity's greatest technological achievements, a relatively simple mistake could have a major effect.
Alan Bean did not damage the camera through reckless behavior. He was performing a routine task on an unfamiliar world, working in a bulky spacesuit and operating equipment in the challenging lighting conditions of the lunar surface.
The result was an unexpected lesson: even on the Moon, cameras need protection from the Sun.
A Small Failure During a Historic Mission
Apollo 12 ultimately achieved its major objectives and demonstrated NASA's growing ability to perform precise lunar exploration.
But its color television camera became famous for a very different reason.
A momentary accidental pointing of the camera toward the Sun damaged its vidicon tube and brought live television coverage of the lunar surface to an early end.
It is a reminder that the Apollo program wasn't just a story of flawless technology. It was also a story of astronauts, engineers and scientists solving problems when things didn't go according to plan.