Editing Apollo 12 (section)

=== Lunar orbit solo activities ===
[[File:Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. during training.jpg|thumb|right|Gordon in the CM simulator]]

After the LM's departure, Gordon had little to say as Mission Control focused on the lunar landing. Once that was accomplished, Gordon sent his congratulations and, on the next orbit, was able to spot both the LM and the Surveyor on the ground and convey their locations to Houston. During the first EVA, Gordon prepared for a [[Orbital inclination change|plane change maneuver]], a burn to alter the CSM's orbit to compensate for the rotation of the Moon, though at times he had difficulty communicating with Houston since Conrad and Bean were using the same communications circuit. Once the two moonwalkers had returned to the LM, Gordon executed the burn,<ref name="orbit1">{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap12fj/15day5_csm_rev14_24.html |title=Day 5: Yankee Clipper Rev 14 to 24 |date=April 6, 2020|editor-last=Woods |editor-first=W. David |editor-last2=Waugh |editor-first2=Lennox J. |work=Apollo 12 Flight Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=January 27, 2021 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> which ensured he would be in the proper position to rendezvous with the LM when it launched from the Moon.{{sfn|Chaikin 1995|p=269}}

While alone in orbit, Gordon performed the Lunar Multispectral Photography Experiment, using four Hasselblad cameras arranged in a ring and aimed through one of the CM's windows. With each camera having a different color filter, simultaneous photos would be taken by each, showing the appearance of lunar features at different points on the [[spectrum]]. Analysis of the images might reveal colors not visible to the naked eye or detectable with ordinary color film, and information could be obtained about the composition of sites that would not soon be visited by humans. Among the sites studied were contemplated landing points for future Apollo missions.{{sfn|Press Kit|p=43}}{{sfn|Mission Report|p=9-26}}