Which Soviet Union probe transmitted the very first photographs of the lunar far side in October 1959?
Answer
Luna 3
The mystery of the far side's surface was first officially solved in October 1959. This breakthrough was achieved by the Soviet Union's Luna 3 probe, which successfully executed a flyby maneuver past the Moon. This spacecraft transmitted the initial series of grainy, black-and-white images back to Earth, providing humanity with its first visual confirmation of the hidden hemisphere's landscape, which immediately highlighted the massive difference in surface features compared to the near side.

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