Which Soviet probe transmitted the very first images of the Moon's hidden hemisphere back to Earth in October 1959?
Answer
Luna 3
The groundbreaking achievement of obtaining the first visual confirmation of the Moon's far side belongs to the Soviet Union's Luna 3 mission. Launched in October 1959, this uncrewed probe successfully executed a trajectory around the Moon. As it completed its orbit, it was positioned to photograph the hemisphere that had never before been directly viewed from Earth. The images successfully transmitted back were crude by modern standards but were revolutionary, providing humanity with its initial glimpse of the unknown terrain on the far side and proving the existence of a significantly different geological landscape.
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