r/SovietUnion

On This Day, October 7, 1959, the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 transmitted the first-ever photographs of the far side of the Moon.

For thousands of years, humans had seen only one side of the Moon.

Because the Moon rotates once on its axis in the same amount of time it takes to orbit Earth, the same hemisphere always faces us.

The other side remained hidden.

Until Luna 3.

The spacecraft, officially known as E-2A No. 1, launched from the Soviet Union on October 4, 1959, as part of the Luna program.

Three days later, it travelled behind the Moon and photographed a region no human had ever seen.

The images were not clear.

Luna 3 captured the photographs on film, developed them automatically inside the spacecraft, scanned them, and transmitted the results back to Earth.

The final pictures were grainy and difficult to study.

But they revealed something remarkable.

The far side of the Moon looked very different from the side visible from Earth.

Scientists discovered that it had far fewer large, dark maria, the ancient volcanic plains that cover much of the Moon’s near side.

The mission changed humanity’s understanding of the Moon and created worldwide excitement.

For the first time, people saw a part of another world that had remained hidden throughout all of human history.

🚀 October 4, 1959 — Luna 3 launches

🌕 October 7 — First images received

📸 First photographs of the Moon’s far side

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

🌍 A hidden hemisphere finally revealed

📅 October 7, 1959

The Moon had a secret side. And Luna 3 was the spacecraft that revealed it.