432 a
Alan Bean

Close-ups of the robot spacecraft Surveyor III

Apollo 12, November 14-24, 1969, EVA 2, 134:07:32, 134:09:09, 134:11:06 GET

Three vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), the first one numbered “NASA AS12-48-7110” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin, the two other ones with NASA HQ captions on the verso [AS12-48-7115, AS12-48-7119]

432 b
Alan Bean

Portrait of the robot spacecraft Surveyor III on the Moon

Apollo 12, November 14-24, 1969, EVA 2, 134:12:09 GET

Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC caption numbered “NASA AS12-48-7121” on the verso

432 c
Alan Bean

The scoop arm of the robot spacecraft Surveyor III and its trenches in the lunar soil

Apollo 12, November 14-24, 1969, EVA 2, 134:14:37 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), numbered “NASA AS12-48-7127” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin

432 d
Alan Bean

Close-up of Surveyor III with its shadow on the lunar surface

Apollo 12, November 14-24, 1969, EVA 2, 134:15:29 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in) [NASA AS12-48-7130]
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

432 b
Arnold, plate 3.

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Lot Essay

432 a
Reaching the robot spacecraft Surveyor III, Conrad and Bean removed 10kg of parts including the television camera and brought them back to Earth for examination, the most distant salvage operation in history. The thorough inspection proved it had never been struck by a meteor during its lunar stay.

The first photograph is a close-up of the up-Sun footpad showing the two footpad imprints made during the touchdown hop and the scoop; the second is a close-up of the engine bell; the third a close-up of the downhill footpad and the gouge it made during the landing.
The Surveyor had three footpads, an arrangement that increased the chances that the spacecraft would remain upright, no matter where it landed, as long as the descent was vertical.

134:07:22 Conrad: The next one is photo the footpads: two (foot)prints, f/8, 5, two in stereo.
134:07:32 Bean: Wait just a second; I’ll get it. I’m going to...I know what I want to do. Okay. Okay. I’ll get the footpads now. And I’ll also get the dirt that’s on them. (Pause) That looks good.
134:08:49 Conrad: “Photo large box A: f/8, 5 feet, one picture.”
134:08:55 Bean: Okay. Say that again now. I was checking something else, real quick.
134:09:02 Conrad: Okay. The big box.
134:09:04 Bean: Okay.
134:09:05 Conrad: At 5 feet.
134:09:06 Bean: Five feet.
134:09:07 Conrad: f/8.
134:09:09 Bean: Okay. Will do.
134:10:57 Bean: Uh-uh. Okay, now let me get that footpad. That’s a beautiful shot there. We’re going to do footpad 3, I guess it is, or is that 1?
134:11:05 Conrad: Footpad 3.
134:11:06 Bean: Okay. And that’s going to be in f/8, probably. It’s pretty low; let me try 5.6. That aft honeycomb shock absorber struck the dirt and looks like it took some of the shock. Other than that, the front one didn’t appear to do that. Stereo there. Sure isn’t going to slide down the hill though, that’s for sure.

432 b
Bean took this “excellent photograph of the Surveyor III spacecraft from a distance of about 15 feet. Block Crater is at the upper left” (ALSJ caption for AS12-48-7121).

Surveyor III stands a “solitary monument to man’s technology” (Arnold, plate 3).

134:11:26 Bean: Okay, Pete. What’s next? Back up 15 feet and take it...
134:11:32 Conrad: Photo bay B...
134:11:34 Bean: Okay. Let me get over here.
134:11:35 Conrad: f/11, 15 (feet), one (picture).
134:11:37 Bean: Going to be a tough shot, because it’s in the Sun, but I’ll give it a go. Get over here; that might help it. (Pause) Back up a little bit more. (Pause)
134:12:02 Bean: How’s that for 15 feet, Pete?
134:12:04 Conrad: You’re more than 15.
134:12:05 Bean: Okay.
134:12:08 Conrad: Now, you’re good.
134:12:09 Bean: Okay. (Pause)
134:12:14 Conrad: You’re pointing too high.
134:12:15 Bean: I know it. I’m trying to shoot the top of it. Give them a few extras.

432 c
This is a “cross-Sun picture from the north of the Surveyor III trenches. The idea behind this picture is to look for changes in the two and a half years since the trenches were dug and recorded with the Surveyor TV camera” (ALSJ caption for AS12-48- 7126).

134:13:59 Conrad: Hey, this is so much easier working around than in one g in our practice; it’s unbelievable.
134:14:08 Bean: Pete, can you move? You’re shadowing the situation... [...]
134:14:18 Conrad: What are you photo-ing, Al?
134:14:19 Bean: The trenches.
134:14:21 Conrad: “Photo the scoop trenches at 5 feet, f/8 in stereo.” [...]
134:14:27 Conrad: Watch it now; you’re going to get dust on them. [...]
134:14:37 Conrad: That a boy. That’s it. (Pause)
134:14:42 Bean: Camera (film advance mechanism)’s moving all the time, so I guess we’re getting it.

432 d
Bean and Conrad thoroughly photographed the robot spacecraft during more than 40 minutes. This was the most distant photoshoot in history.

The photograph shows the mirror of the TV camera with dust on it and the top solar panel.

134:14:49 Conrad: Okay. Photo the TV mirror.
134:14:51 Bean: Okay. Well, the TV mirror is...
134:14:55 Conrad: f/8, 5 (feet), one picture.
134:14:59 Bean: That TV mirror is brown! [...]
134:15:08 Conrad: Maybe it’s got some coating on it. Yeah. It does. Why don’t you stay right there, and I’ll come in and wipe it?
134:15:15 Bean: Okay. Come on in and wipe it.
134:15:17 Conrad: Look it over close.
134:15:18 Bean: (I can) see the mechanical components down inside it.
134:15:21 Conrad: Yeah. (Pause)
134:15:29 Conrad: It’s just got a...
134:15:29 LM Crew: ...fine dust on it.