315. [Apollo 12] CM YANKEE CLIPPER SAFELY BACK ON EARTH AFTER HUMANITY'S SECOND MISSION TO ANOTHER WORLD NASA, 24 November 1969 Printed 1969. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper. With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA / US NAVY). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context Floating in the Pacific Ocean, the Command Module Yankee Clipper rests securely in its recovery rafts after completing humanity's second mission to another world. Following a successful splashdown on November 24, 1969, the spacecraft and its crew—Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon, and Alan Bean—await retrieval by the USS Hornet recovery team. Scorched from the fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere, the golden-hued heat shield bears witness to the intense journey home. Above the spacecraft, the three flotation balloons helped stabilize the capsule upon landing, while recovery divers ensure a safe extraction of the astronauts from their historic voyage. Apollo 12 proved the feasibility of precise lunar landings, pushing the boundaries of exploration and paving the way for future Apollo missions. After 10 days in space and two moonwalks on the Ocean of Storms, humanity's second crewed mission to another world had returned home.