Apollo 12 Gets Struck by Lightning – Twice (1969)

 

Apollo 12 Gets Struck by Lightning – Twice (1969)

Key Characters: Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, Richard Gordon
Date: November 14, 1969
Story:
Just 36 seconds after liftoff, Apollo 12 was struck by lightning — and again at 52 seconds. Lights dimmed, alarms blared. Ground controllers thought they lost the mission.
Flight controller John Aaron saved the day by suggesting "SCE to AUX" — a switch few people even knew existed. It restored telemetry and saved the mission.
Reference: NASA transcripts, Apollo 12 flight records