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Alan LaVern Bean (March 15, 1932 – May 26, 2018) was an American naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, NASA astronaut and painter. He was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1963 as part of Astronaut Group 3, and was the fourth person to walk on the Moon.

Key Information

Before becoming an astronaut, Bean graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from University of Texas at Austin in 1955 and re-joined the U.S. Navy—he served as an enlisted member for a year after his high school graduation. He received his naval aviator wings in 1956 and served as a fighter pilot. In 1960, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, flew as a test pilot and was The New Nine selection finalist in 1962.

Bean made his first flight into space aboard Apollo 12 in November 1969, the second crewed mission to land on the Moon. He spent over seven hours walking on the Moon during two lunar excursions. He made his second and final flight into space on the Skylab 3 mission in 1973, the second crewed mission to the Skylab space station.

After retiring from the United States Navy in 1975 and NASA in 1981, Bean pursued his interest in painting, depicting various space-related scenes and documenting his own experiences in space as well as those of his fellow Apollo program astronauts. He was the last living crew member of Apollo 12.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Bean was born March 15, 1932,[3] in Wheeler, the seat of Wheeler County in the northeastern Texas Panhandle, to parents Arnold Horace Bean and Frances Caroline Bean (née Murphy), who lived from 1908 to 1983, and 1906 to 1981, respectively.[4][5][6] He considered Fort Worth his hometown.[7] He was of Scottish descent.[8] As a boy, he lived in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, where his father worked for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.[9][10] Bean was a Boy Scout and he earned the rank of First Class.[11] He graduated from R. L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1949.[12][13] Following his high school graduation in 1949, Bean enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve.[14]

Bean received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1955, where he attended on a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship.[14] While at the university, he also joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.[15]

Military service

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He was an Electronics Technician Striker at the NAS Dallas, Texas, until September 1950, when he was honorably discharged.[13] In January 1955, Bean was commissioned a U.S. Navy ensign through the NROTC at the University of Texas at Austin, and attended flight training.[12] After completing flight training in June 1956, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 44 (VA-44) at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, from 1956 to 1960, flying the F9F Cougar and A4D Skyhawk. After a four-year tour of duty,[16] he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, where his instructor was his future Apollo 12 Commander, Pete Conrad, graduating in November 1960.[7][13] Bean took art classes at St. Mary's College of Maryland during this tour,[17] and flew as a test pilot on several types of naval aircraft. Following his assignment at USNTPS and aviation safety training with the University of Southern California (USC), he went through additional instruction with his old Attack Squadron 44,[13] and was assigned to Navy Attack Squadron VA-172 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida, flying the A-4 Skyhawks, during which time he was selected as a NASA astronaut.[14][18]

Bean logged more than 7,145 hours of flying time, including 4,890 hours in jet aircraft.[19]

NASA career

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Bean was selected by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 3 in 1963 (after not being selected for Astronaut Group 2 the previous year).[20] He was selected to be the backup command pilot for Gemini 10, but was unsuccessful in securing an early Apollo flight assignment. He was placed in the Apollo Applications Program in the interim. In that capacity, he was the first astronaut to dive in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator and was a champion of the process for astronaut training.[21] When fellow astronaut Clifton Williams was killed in an air crash, a space was opened for Bean on the backup crew for Apollo 9. Apollo 12 Commander Conrad, who had instructed Bean at the Naval Test Pilot School years before, personally requested Bean to replace Williams.[14][18]

Apollo program

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Main article: Apollo 12
Bean during suiting-up for Apollo 12 flight
Bean on the Moon during Apollo 12

Bean was the Apollo Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 12, the second lunar landing. In November 1969, Bean and Pete Conrad landed on the Moon's Ocean of Storms—after a flight of 250,000 miles and a launch that included a harrowing lightning strike. He was the astronaut who executed John Aaron's "Flight, try SCE to 'Aux'" instruction to restore telemetry after the spacecraft was struck by lightning 36 seconds after launch, thus salvaging the mission. They explored the lunar surface, deployed several lunar surface experiments, and installed the first nuclear power generator station on the Moon to provide the power source. Dick Gordon remained in lunar orbit, photographing landing sites for future missions.[19]

Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon, and Alan Bean pose with their Apollo 12 Saturn V Moon rocket in the background on the pad at Cape Canaveral on October 29, 1969

Bean had planned on using a self-timer for his Hasselblad camera to take a photograph of both Pete Conrad and himself while on the lunar surface near the Surveyor III spacecraft. He was hoping to record a good photo, and also to confuse the mission scientists as to how the photo could have been taken. However, neither he nor Conrad could locate the timer in the tool carrier tote bag while at the Surveyor III site, thus lost the opportunity. After finding the self-timer unit at the end of the EVA, when it was too late to use, he threw it as far as he could.[22] His paintings of what this photo would have looked like (titled The Fabulous Photo We Never Took) and one of his fruitless search for the timer (Our Little Secret) are included in his collection of Apollo paintings.[23][24]

Bean's suit is on display in the National Air and Space Museum.[25]

Skylab

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Main article: Skylab 3
Bean shaving during the Skylab 3 mission

Bean was the spacecraft commander of Skylab 3, the second crewed mission to Skylab, from July 29 to September 25, 1973. With him on the mission were scientist-astronaut Owen Garriott and Marine Corps Colonel Jack R. Lousma. Bean and his crew were on Skylab for 59 days, during which time they covered a world-record-setting 24.4 million miles.[19] During the mission, Bean tested a prototype of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and performed one spacewalk outside the Skylab. The crew of Skylab 3 accomplished 150% of its mission goals.[19]

Post-NASA career

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Bean, February 2009

On his next assignment, Bean was the backup spacecraft commander of the United States flight crew for the joint American-Russian Apollo–Soyuz Test Project.[19]

Bean retired from the Navy in October 1975 as a captain, and continued as head of the Astronaut Candidate Operations and Training Group within the Astronaut Office in a civilian capacity.[19][26]

Bean logged 1,671 hours and 45 minutes in space while at NASA, of which 10 hours and 26 minutes were spent in EVAs on the Moon and in Earth orbit.[19]

Painting

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Bean in his studio in 2009

Bean resigned from NASA in June 1981 to devote his time to painting. He said his decision was based on that, in his 18 years as an astronaut, he was fortunate enough to visit worlds and see sights no artist's eye, past or present, has ever viewed firsthand and he hoped to express these experiences through his art.[12]

As a painter, Bean wanted to add color to the Moon. "I had to figure out a way to add color to the Moon without ruining it," he remarked. In his paintings, the lunar landscape is not a monotonous gray, but shades of various colors. "If I were a scientist painting the Moon, I would paint it gray. I'm an artist, so I can add colors to the Moon", said Bean.[27]

Bean's paintings include Lunar Grand Prix and Rock and Roll on the Ocean of Storms, and he used real Moon dust in his paintings.[28] When he began painting, he realized that keepsake patches from his space suit were dirty with Moon dust. He added tiny pieces of the patches to his paintings, which made them unique. He also used a hammer, used to pound the flagpole into the lunar surface, and a bronzed Moon boot to texture his paintings.[29]

In July 2009, for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Bean exhibited his lunar paintings at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington.[30]

But I'm the only one who can paint the Moon, because I'm the only one who knows whether that's right or not.

— Bean describing his Moon painting capability[12]

Personal life and death

[edit]
Alan Bean museum marker in Wheeler, Texas
Bean presents a piece of Moon rock at the Gasometer Oberhausen in March 2010

Bean took a piece of Clan MacBean tartan to the Moon.[31] In recognition of his Scottish ancestry, Bean stated:

As I remember it, I took Clan McBean tartan to the Moon and returned it to Earth. […] I did, in fact, give a piece of the tartan to the Clan McBean and also to the St Bean Chapel in Scotland. And I've still got some of it in my possession. I did not, however leave any of it on the Moon.[32]

He married Sue Ragsdale, a fellow graduate of the University of Texas on April 19, 1955, shortly before her graduation.[33] With Ragsdale, Bean had a son, Clay, and a daughter, Amy Sue.[34][35]

Bean died on May 26, 2018, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 86.[36] His death followed the sudden onset of illness two weeks before while he was in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[35] At the time of his death, Bean was married to his second wife, Leslie, and was also survived by his sister, Paula Scott.[35]

Bean was interred in Arlington National Cemetery on November 8, 2018.[37]

Legacy

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He was awarded with several awards and decorations during his career. He received the Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progress,[19] the Godfrey L. Cabot Award for 1970,[19] the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Trustees Award,[19] the V. M. Komarov Diploma for 1973[19] and the AAS Flight Achievement Award for 1974.[19]

Bean received the Navy Astronaut Wings, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the NASA Distinguished Service Medal (twice), and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star.[13][19][38]

Bean was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1983,[12][39] the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997,[40][41] the International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 2010,[42] and the National Aviation Hall of Fame for 2010.[43] He was also a fellow of the American Astronautical Society and a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.[19]

Bean received the University of Texas Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1970 and the Distinguished Engineering Graduate Award.[44] Bean, the first Texan to walk on the Moon, was awarded the Texas Press Associations Texan of the Year Award for 1969.[45] The 1973 Robert J. Collier Trophy was awarded to NASA and the Skylab crew.[46] Bean was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Texas Wesleyan College in 1972, and was presented an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering Science degree from the University of Akron (Ohio) in 1974.[19] The city of Chicago held a parade and presented gold medals to the Skylab astronauts in 1974.[47] Bean was the recipient of Fédération Aéronautique Internationale's prestigious Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal for 1973 in Sydney, Australia.[48] In 1975, President Ford presented Skylab commander Gerald Carr with the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy at a White House ceremony, on behalf of all Skylab astronauts (including Bean).[49] Bean was a co-recipient of AIAA's Octave Chanute Award for 1975, along with fellow Skylab 3 astronauts Jack Lousma and Owen Garriott.[50] In 2019, Northrop Grumman named the spacecraft for the NG-12 mission the S.S. Alan Bean.[51]

In media

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In the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, Bean was portrayed by Dave Foley.[52] Swedish indie pop artist Stina Nordenstam has a song called "The Return of Alan Bean" on her 1991 debut album Memories of a Color.[53] British indie rock band Hefner released a single called "Alan Bean" in 2001, writing from the perspective of Bean during Apollo 12.[54] For her 2019 novel, America Was Hard to Find, American writer Kathleen Alcott based her description of the Apollo landing on interviews she conducted with Bean.[55]

Books

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  • My Life As An Astronaut (1989) ISBN 978-0671674250
  • Apollo: An Eyewitness Account (with Andrew Chaikin) (1998) ISBN 978-0867130508
  • Into the Sunlit Splendor: The Aviation Art of William S. Phillips (with Ann Cooper, Charles S. Cooper and Wilson Hurley) (2005) ISBN 978-0867130935
  • Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon (with Andrew Chaikin) (2009) ISBN 978-0670011568
  • Painting Apollo: First Artist on Another World (2009) ISBN 978-1588342645

Bean's in-flight Skylab diary is featured in Homesteading Space: the Skylab Story, a history of the Skylab program co-authored by fellow astronauts Dr. Joseph Kerwin and Dr. Owen Garriott and writer David Hitt, published in 2008.[56]

See also

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References

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Further reading

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Alan Bean

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Alan LaVern Bean (March 15, 1932 – May 26, 2018) was an American naval officer, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, NASA astronaut, and artist best known for becoming the fourth person to walk on the Moon as the lunar module pilot on Apollo 12, the second crewed lunar landing mission in November 1969. Born in Wheeler, Texas, Bean graduated from Paschal High School in Fort Worth and earned a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering from the University of Texas in 1955. He was commissioned through Navy ROTC and served as a pilot in a jet attack squadron before attending the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, where he logged over 7,000 hours of flight time across 27 aircraft types. Selected as part of 's third astronaut group in October 1963, Bean served as backup pilot for and before his assignment, during which he and mission commander Charles Conrad conducted two moonwalks totaling more than seven hours and deployed scientific experiments at the Ocean of Storms landing site. He later commanded the mission from July 29 to September 25, 1973, leading a 59-day flight that covered 24.4 million miles, set multiple world records, and included extensive spacewalk time for repairs and observations aboard the orbiting laboratory. Bean also served as backup commander for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project before retiring from the in October 1975 and from in June 1981, having accumulated 1,671 hours in space, including over 10 hours of . In his post-astronaut career, Bean pursued full-time, creating works inspired by his experiences using lunar dust and boot prints embedded in the canvases to capture the essence of and human achievement. He received numerous honors, including two Distinguished Service Medals, the , and the Gold Medal, reflecting his contributions to and . Bean died on May 26, 2018, at in , , following a sudden illness at age 86.

Early Life and Education

Early Life

Alan LaVern Bean was born on March 15, 1932, in Wheeler, a small rural town in the , to Arnold Horace Bean and Frances Caroline (Murphy) Bean. His father worked as a soil scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, often requiring the family to relocate across and for his job assignments, while his mother provided stability amid these moves. The Beans came from modest, churchgoing backgrounds, with Arnold having grown up on a farm in before earning a degree from . Bean had a younger sister, Paula, who was known for her athleticism and intelligence, and the siblings grew up in a loving household that emphasized hard work and reliability. From an early age, Bean developed a deep fascination with , inspired by witnessing airplanes overhead in rural and reading about pioneering aviators like , whose 1927 solo transatlantic flight captivated his imagination. By age 10, he dreamed of becoming a pilot, spending much of his free time building and flying model airplanes constructed from balsa wood, paper, glue, rubber bands, and even small gasoline engines. These models, which he also painted meticulously, filled his room and reflected his growing passion for flight; by high school, dozens hung from the ceiling on thin wires, symbolizing his aspirations. During his adolescence, the Bean family settled in , after earlier moves that exposed Alan to various small-town environments, arriving there in time for his junior high years. 's burgeoning culture, with its proximity to airfields and installations, further fueled his interests, as he joined the Naval Air Reserve as a teenager to pursue hands-on experiences with aircraft. This early enthusiasm for and flight laid the groundwork for his later academic pursuits.

Education

Bean attended in , graduating in 1950. Building on his childhood interest in flight, he developed a strong foundation in science and during high school, which directed him toward a career in . In 1950, Bean enrolled at the , where he majored in aeronautical engineering as part of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. He balanced rigorous coursework in , structures, and with ROTC military training, which included drills and naval indoctrination. This dual commitment prepared him for technical roles in while fulfilling early military obligations. Bean completed his degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955, earning a commission as an ensign in the U.S. Navy upon graduation through the ROTC program. His university studies emphasized practical engineering principles essential for aircraft design and performance, equipping him for advanced aviation pursuits.

Military Service

Upon graduating from the with a in aeronautical engineering in 1955, Alan Bean was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy through the program. His engineering education provided a strong foundation for adapting to the technical demands of . Bean began flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, shortly after his commissioning. He continued advanced training from February to June 1956 at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Chase Field in Beeville, Texas, where he honed skills in aircraft handling and navigation. On June 6, 1956, he was officially designated a Naval Aviator, qualifying him for operational assignments. In July 1956, Bean joined Attack Squadron 44 (VA-44), known as the "Hornets," at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, for a four-year tour as a jet attack pilot. During this period, he conducted routine operational flights, carrier qualifications, and squadron exercises, contributing to the unit's readiness for naval air operations. By the end of his assignment in February 1960, Bean had built expertise in high-performance aviation environments.

Test Pilot Training

In 1960, following four years of service with Attack Squadron 44, Alan Bean applied for and was accepted into the U.S. Navy's Test Pilot School at , . He reported as a student in February 1960, joining a select group of naval aviators trained to push aircraft limits through experimental flights. The school's curriculum emphasized advanced techniques, including high-speed performance evaluations, high-altitude maneuvers, and systems integration tests to verify suitability for operational deployment. Bean conducted trials on fixed-wing jets, helicopters, and propeller-driven , focusing on stability, control, and handling under extreme conditions such as maximum speeds and altitudes. These exercises honed skills in , , and precise piloting, essential for evaluating emerging technologies. Bean completed the program and graduated in November 1960, earning designation as a . He was then assigned to the Service Test Division at the Naval Air Test Center in , where he served as Attack Plane Project Officer until February 1963. In this role, he led evaluations of aircraft including the A-4E Skyhawk and A-5A Vigilante, conducting initial flight trials to assess weapons systems, aerodynamics, and overall performance. Through his test pilot tenure, Bean gained invaluable expertise in managing aircraft in challenging environments, such as rapid acceleration, structural stress limits, and instrumentation failures, which built on his prior naval flying. This phase added significantly to his logbook.

NASA Career

Selection and Initial Training

Alan Bean was selected as an astronaut in NASA's third group on October 18, 1963, from a pool of over 700 applicants, joining thirteen other military test pilots to support the Gemini and Apollo programs. This group included future Moon walkers such as Buzz Aldrin, Eugene Cernan, and David Scott, in addition to Bean himself. Following his selection, Bean reported to NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas, in early 1964 to begin initial astronaut training. The program emphasized comprehensive preparation for spaceflight, including academic instruction on Gemini and Apollo spacecraft systems, such as propulsion, guidance, and life support; survival training in desert, water, and jungle environments to handle potential landing scenarios; and centrifuge simulations to acclimate crews to the high g-forces experienced during launch and reentry. In 1966, Bean was assigned as backup command pilot for the mission, alongside pilot Clifton C. Williams Jr., providing critical support to the prime crew of John Young and Michael Collins without flying the mission itself. He later served as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 9. This role allowed him to gain hands-on experience in mission planning, procedures, and capsule communicators () duties at the control center. Bean also contributed to early development through participation in flight simulations and technical evaluations, including reviews of the lunar module's design to ensure operational reliability for lunar landings. His background from naval service informed these efforts, bridging expertise with NASA's emerging requirements.

Apollo 12 Mission

Alan Bean served as the Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) for Apollo 12, the second crewed lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program, alongside Commander Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. and Command Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon Jr. The crew launched aboard Saturn V SA-507 from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A on November 14, 1969, at 11:22:00 a.m. EST, despite rainy weather conditions. Just 36.5 seconds after liftoff, the vehicle was struck by lightning, followed by a second strike at 52 seconds, triggered by static discharge in the thunderstorm; these incidents caused temporary loss of telemetry and platform alignment but were quickly resolved by the crew using a manual reset, allowing the mission to proceed without abort. Bean, monitoring systems from his position, assisted in verifying the spacecraft's stability post-strikes, contributing to the successful translunar injection four hours later. After a three-day journey to the Moon, Conrad and Bean piloted the Lunar Module Intrepid to a precise landing in the Ocean of Storms on November 19, 1969, at 06:54:35 UTC (1:54:35 a.m. EST), touching down approximately 163 meters northwest of the unmanned Surveyor 3 probe, which had landed in April 1967. This pinpoint accuracy, achieved through Bean's navigation inputs and real-time adjustments during descent, validated NASA's landing precision capabilities for future missions. Gordon remained in the Command Module Yankee Clipper in lunar orbit, conducting photographic surveys and multispectral imaging of potential Apollo sites. The crew conducted two extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the lunar surface, with Bean joining Conrad for both moonwalks totaling 7 hours and 45 minutes. During the first EVA, lasting 3 hours and 56 minutes and beginning at 115 hours and 10 minutes mission elapsed time, Conrad and Bean deployed the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), including a passive seismic experiment and solar wind spectrometer, while retrieving components from Surveyor 3 such as the camera and scoop for Earth return analysis. They collected 17.6 kilograms of lunar soil and rock samples, focusing on regolith from the immediate vicinity. The second EVA, 3 hours and 49 minutes long, extended exploration to about 400 meters from Intrepid, where the astronauts gathered an additional 16.7 kilograms of samples, including a core tube for subsurface analysis, bringing the total to 34.3 kilograms. A notable challenge occurred early in the first EVA when Bean accidentally pointed the deployed color television camera toward the Sun while adjusting it on its tripod, overheating and damaging the vidicon tube and halting live Earth transmissions for the remainder of the walk. Bean later reflected on his first steps on the , following Conrad down the at 115 hours 41 minutes mission time, describing the lunar soil as a fine, gray resembling talcum that clung to his and created a boot-print pattern unlike anything on . He noted the one-sixth allowed bounding strides but required careful balance to avoid dust clouds, emphasizing the surreal quiet and vast desolation that heightened his sense of . These experiences, shared in post-mission debriefs, underscored Bean's role in documenting surface operations through still photography, despite the TV setback. After 31 hours and 31 minutes on the surface, Intrepid lifted off on November 20, rendezvousing with Yankee Clipper for the return to , splashing down on November 24 in the South Pacific.

Skylab 3 Mission

, the second crewed mission to the ' first , launched on July 28, 1973, at 7:10 a.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B aboard a rocket. Alan L. Bean served as mission commander, drawing on his experience, with Owen K. Garriott as science pilot and as pilot. The crew's primary objectives centered on long-duration research, building on the mission's success in stabilizing the station after its launch anomalies. Approximately eight hours after launch, the crew successfully docked with the at 3:38 p.m. EDT on July 28, marking the first reuse of a crewed orbital outpost. This docking occurred after the crew had repaired damage from Skylab's May 14, 1973, launch, including the deployment of a sunshade to mitigate thermal issues and the freeing of a trapped to restore power generation. Upon entry, and his team reactivated station systems, addressed minor thruster leaks through procedural workarounds, and averted a potential early mission termination, enabling full scientific operations. The mission endured for a record-setting 59 days, 11 hours, and 9 minutes, concluding with in the on September 25, 1973, at 5:19 p.m. EDT. During this time, the completed 858 orbits and logged 1,081 hours on solar and experiments, exceeding objectives by 150 percent. Focus areas included Earth resources observations via the Earth Resources Experiment Package (EREP), which captured multispectral imagery of geological and agricultural sites; biomedical studies assessing human adaptation to microgravity, such as cardiovascular responses and changes using lower body negative pressure devices; and processing in zero gravity to evaluate fluid behavior and . Key activities encompassed three extravehicular activities (EVAs) totaling 13 hours and 43 minutes: the first on August 6 for film changes and checks (6 hours, 31 minutes, by Garriott and Lousma); the second on for additional film retrieval and solar observations (4 hours, 31 minutes); and the third on for final maintenance and experiment closeouts (2 hours, 41 minutes, with participating). The crew also gathered extensive solar physics data through the , observing solar flares and coronal structures, while personally documented Earth features with , contributing to both scientific and inspirational records. 's leadership emphasized balanced workloads, incorporating recreational elements like observing a experiment with spiders weaving webs in microgravity, which helped sustain high morale and throughout the extended stay. Following , Bean served as backup commander for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first international mission, before retiring from in 1981.

Artistic Career

Transition from NASA

After serving as an astronaut for 18 years, including missions on and , Alan Bean resigned from in June 1981 to pursue painting full time. His decision was driven by a growing conviction that his unique experiences in could inspire broader audiences through artistic expression rather than continued involvement in engineering and flight operations. At age 49, Bean recognized he was approaching the end of his active flight status eligibility, prompting him to redirect his energies toward sharing the wonder of lunar and orbital exploration in more accessible mediums. Immediately following his departure from , Bean began exploring writing and public speaking as ways to convey his Apollo and narratives to non-specialist audiences. He delivered keynote addresses on the human aspects of , emphasizing and discovery, at events ranging from universities to professional gatherings. These talks often highlighted the emotional and inspirational impact of his missions, allowing him to connect personally with listeners about the broader significance of humanity's reach into . Bean's early post-NASA writings further bridged his past with his emerging artistic pursuits, co-authoring accounts that detailed the technical and personal dimensions of his spaceflights. Works such as Mission Control, This Is Apollo provided eyewitness perspectives on the Apollo program's triumphs, underscoring his passion for preserving and disseminating these stories beyond NASA's confines. Through these initial endeavors, Bean sought to motivate by illustrating how ordinary determination could achieve extraordinary feats, a theme central to his transition away from institutional roles.

Painting Techniques and Themes

Bean primarily used acrylic paints for his works, often applying them to aluminum panels, and occasionally enamels for added effect. A hallmark of his technique was incorporating authentic artifacts to lend texture and authenticity, such as mixing lunar dust collected during into the paint, imprinting boot prints with his actual lunar overshoes, and adding handprints or fragments from mission patches and gloves. These elements grounded his impressionistic style in his personal experiences, creating a tactile connection to . His themes centered on the and missions, drawing directly from his time on the and in orbit, but he infused them with imaginative and fantastical elements to convey emotion and wonder, such as depicting the crew in playful lunar scenes. Bean added vibrant colors to his paintings, contrasting the 's actual gray desolation to enhance inspirational appeal. His style evolved from early still lifes before retirement to space-themed works post-1981, focusing increasingly on personal narratives of discovery and human achievement.

Notable Works and Exhibitions

Bean's artistic output included several major works inspired by his experiences, such as "Rock and Roll on the Ocean of Storms," an acrylic painting capturing the dynamic energy of the lunar landing in the Ocean of Storms. Another key piece, "Apollo 12 is Headed Home," from his series, depicts the crew—, Richard Gordon, and Bean—returning to Earth after their mission, emphasizing the emotional pull of against the blackness of space. He also created "The Fantasy" in 1992, an imaginative scene portraying the full crew playfully interacting on the lunar surface, complete with elements of whimsy like tossing a football. A distinctive feature of Bean's paintings was the incorporation of authentic space artifacts to enhance texture and authenticity; for instance, he mixed dust collected during into the acrylic paints and used his actual lunar boot to imprint boot prints directly onto canvases, as seen in "The Fantasy" series. This technique grounded his impressionistic style in tangible remnants of his moonwalk, bridging the gap between and . Bean's works gained significant public recognition through solo exhibitions, beginning with shows at the in in 1984, where two collections of his Apollo paintings were displayed shortly after he left . His most prominent institutional showcase came in 2009 with "Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World" at the , featuring 40 original paintings and drawings alongside his Apollo 12 spacesuit, which ran from July 16, 2009, to January 13, 2010. Additional exhibitions occurred at NASA centers, such as , and galleries in cities including and New York throughout the 2000s and 2010s, highlighting his evolving lunar and space-themed oeuvre. Commercially, many of Bean's original paintings were sold to private collectors and institutions like through commissions and direct sales. His works fetched notable prices at auctions, underscoring their appeal to space enthusiasts. To manage and promote his legacy, the Alan Bean Art Gallery was established, serving as a dedicated venue for displaying and offering his originals, prints, and related artifacts.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Alan Bean married Sue Ragsdale on April 19, 1955, while serving as a naval aviator. The couple had two children: a daughter, Amy Sue Bean, and a son, Clay Arnold Bean. Their marriage lasted until their divorce in 1976. Following his divorce, Bean married Leslie (née Clem) on July 15, 1982; the union lasted for the remainder of his life. Leslie, a medical executive, provided personal support during Bean's transition to a full-time artistic career after retiring from NASA in 1981. Bean's family played a key role in supporting his demanding NASA career, including the relocation from California to the Houston area in the early 1960s when he was selected as an astronaut. His children later participated in space heritage events, with Amy Sue Bean becoming a public speaker on her experiences growing up in the astronaut community and advocating for continued lunar exploration. Amid the high-profile demands of life, Bean balanced family time with his focus on painting.

Death

Alan Bean suddenly fell ill while traveling in , approximately two weeks before his death. He was subsequently hospitalized at in , , where he died on May 26, 2018, at the age of 86, following a short illness. Bean passed peacefully, surrounded by his wife Leslie and other family members who had been with him throughout his final days. A private memorial service for Bean was held on June 29, 2018, at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in , attended by close family and friends. His ashes were interred with full military honors at on November 8, 2018, in a ceremony attended by family, colleagues, and fellow Apollo astronauts, including , who offered a final . Following Bean's death, Administrator issued a statement praising him as a "boundary pusher" whose artistic legacy would inspire future generations. astronaut , a longtime friend, described Bean as "the toughest one" among their group and noted their 55-year friendship. Tributes also came from the space art community, with astronaut calling Bean an "extraordinary person" whose paintings captured the essence of .

Legacy

Awards and Honors

During his naval service in the 1950s and 1960s, Alan Bean received the with bronze star for his contributions as a pilot and . For his role as pilot on in 1969, Bean was awarded the in 1970 and the . He received a second in 1973 and a second for commanding the mission that year. Additionally, Bean earned Astronaut Wings for his spaceflight achievements. Bean's broader contributions to space exploration were recognized with several prestigious honors, including the in 1973 for his Apollo and missions, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale Gold Medal in 1973, the V.M. Komarov Diploma in 1974, the Memorial Trophy in 1975, the AIAA Award in 1975, and the AAS Flight Achievement Award in 1975. He also received the Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progress, the University of Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the University of Distinguished Engineering Graduate Award. Bean was inducted into multiple halls of fame, including the International Space Hall of Fame in 1983, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997, the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2010, and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame in 2010. In his artistic career, Bean was honored with the Butler Institute of American Art's Medal for Life Achievement in the Arts in 2005. Bean was conferred honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Science from Texas Wesleyan College in 1972 and a Doctor of Engineering Science from the University of Akron in 1974.

Cultural and Scientific Impact

Alan's command of the Skylab 3 mission in 1973 established a world record for the longest human spaceflight at the time, with a duration of 59 days, 11 hours, and 9 minutes, more than doubling the previous record set by Skylab 2. This achievement advanced NASA's understanding of long-duration space habitation, providing critical data on crew health, equipment maintenance, and operational efficiency in microgravity, which directly informed the design and protocols for subsequent space stations. Skylab's missions, including Bean's, served as a foundational precursor to the International Space Station (ISS), demonstrating the feasibility of extended human presence in orbit and influencing ISS strategies for crew endurance and scientific productivity. Through his post-NASA artistic career, Bean uniquely bridged the realms of science and art, creating works that captured the sensory experiences of inaccessible to non-. His paintings, incorporating lunar soil and boot prints from artifacts, are held in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian's , where they preserve the visual and emotional essence of Apollo missions. Exhibitions such as "Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World" at the museum highlighted his impressionistic depictions of lunar landscapes and portraits, fostering public appreciation for the human dimensions of . In 2019, named its Cygnus NG-12 resupply spacecraft "S.S. Alan Bean" in posthumous tribute to his contributions to . Bean's educational efforts further amplified his impact, as he delivered lectures worldwide recounting his experiences to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. His book Apollo: An Eyewitness Account, co-authored with Andrew Chaikin, offered detailed narratives of the , motivating readers to pursue careers in . Additionally, Bean's participation in the Oral History Project preserved firsthand accounts of and , contributing to archival resources that educate future generations on the program's challenges and triumphs.

Media and Publications

Depictions in Film and Television

Alan Bean appeared as himself in the 1989 documentary For All Mankind, directed by Al Reinert, where he provided narration for the mission segment, drawing from archival footage to recount the experiences of the Apollo astronauts. In this Oscar-nominated film, Bean's voice and insights contributed to the collective narrative of the six lunar landings, emphasizing the human elements of the missions. He also featured as himself in the 2014 documentary The Last Man on the Moon, which focuses on commander Eugene Cernan but includes interviews with other moonwalkers like Bean to explore the broader Apollo era and its personal impacts. Bean's contributions highlighted his experiences, offering reflections on the challenges and triumphs of lunar exploration. In fictional portrayals, Bean was depicted by Canadian actor and comedian in the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, produced by . Foley portrayed Bean in episode 7, "That's All There Is," which dramatizes the mission, capturing Bean's role as lunar module pilot alongside commander . During the 1970s and 1980s, Bean made personal appearances in promotional videos, including training footage and mission previews for , where he demonstrated zero-gravity activities and spacecraft operations to educate the public on . These videos, produced by , showcased Bean's expertise as commander, promoting the agency's ongoing efforts in orbital research.

Books and Writings

Alan Bean authored and co-authored several that blended his experiences as an with his artistic pursuits, often incorporating personal narratives alongside reproductions of his paintings. His first published work, My Life as an Astronaut (1989), is a children's that recounts his journey from naval aviator to , emphasizing the excitement and challenges of in an accessible manner for young readers. In 1998, Bean co-authored Apollo: An Eyewitness Account with science writer Andrew Chaikin, a that details his participation in the mission, including firsthand accounts of the lunar landing and extravehicular activities, interspersed with his reflections on the broader . The book pairs these anecdotes with Bean's original artwork depicting key moments from the missions, offering a unique astronaut's perspective on humanity's first steps on the . Bean's later publication, Painting Apollo: First Artist on Another World (2009), serves as both an art catalog and personal essay collection, showcasing over 120 of his lunar-themed s while including his written commentary on the creative process inspired by his spaceflights. In this work, Bean explores how his Apollo experiences influenced his impressionistic style, using lunar dust and authentic mission artifacts embedded in the canvases to evoke the tactile reality of the . Beyond books, Bean contributed essays and reflective pieces on and throughout his career. For instance, his 2011 essay "We All Had Stars in Our Eyes," published on his official gallery website, meditates on the collective ambition and that drove the Apollo era, drawing from his time as a and to inspire broader human potential. Other writings, such as the introductory message on his personal site, articulate his that his captures the emotional essence of rather than mere documentation, bridging scientific achievement with artistic expression.

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