It’s been 62 years since the first photos of the far side of the moon

This October 7 marked 62 years since the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3, the third launched to the moon, sent the first images of the far side of our natural satellite to Earth..

Even though they were images of bad quality (especially compared to the last ones), The historic and never-before-seen images of the far side of the Moon sparked excitement and interest when they were released around the world., creating a provisional Atlas of the far side of the Moon after enhancing the images through its processing.

These views are mountainous terrain, very different from the visible side, and two dark regions which have been named Mare Moscoviense (Moscow Sea) and Mare Desiderii (Sea of ​​Desire).. The Mare Desiderii was considered a posteriori to be composed of a small sea, the Mare Ingenii (Sea of ​​Ingenuity), and several dark craters.

The camera, a AFA-E1 dual lens, 35mm isochrome film used resistant to radiation and extreme temperatures, with the capacity to take 40 images. A 200mm lens was intended to image the entire Moon disk, while a 500mm lens could image a region on the surface. The camera was attached to the ship and its aim was obtained by rotating the prototype itself..

The camera took 29 photos in 40 minutes, October 7, 1959, from 3.30am to 4.10am UTC, at distances between 63,500 kilometers and 66,700 kilometers above the surface, covering 70% of the far side of the Moon.

Seventeen (also known as twelve) of these images were successfully transmitted to Earth, and six have been published (images numbered 26, 28, 29, 31, 32 and 35). These are the first views that humanity has contemplated of the Hidden Hemisphere of the Moon.

Triumphant Return Mission Record

Three Chinese astronauts recently began their return trip to Earth after a record 90-day mission to build a space station. from his country.

This mission Shenzhou-12Launched in June shortly before the centenary celebrations of the Chinese Communist Party, it is charged with national prestige for the government of President Xi Jinping.

It is the longest performed by Chinese astronautsThe agency in charge of manned flights stressed in a statement.

The Shenzhou-12 spacecraft was successfully separated from the Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”) station, to which it had been attached for three months, the space agency said.

The previous Chinese manned mission, Shenzhou-11, dated from the end of 2016 and lasted 33 days.

The Chinese Shenzhou-12 spacecraft arrived on Earth three weeks ago with three astronauts on board, from the space station that the Asian country is preparing to make operational next year. Images broadcast live on state television CGTN showed the capsule landing “vertically” at the Dongfeng landing zone in the Gobi Desert., in the northern Chinese province of Inner Mongolia.

Space trips

During your mission, the astronauts worked on the installation of the space station, the first part of which was launched in April. They made several spacewalks.

The Shenzhou-12 mission is the third launch of the 11 that will be necessary for the construction of the station, between 2021 and 2022. Four of these missions will be manned.

Once finished, The “Heavenly Palace” station will be similar in size to the former Soviet Mir facility (1986-2001) and is expected to have a useful life of at least 10 years, according to the Chinese space agency..

China’s interest in having its own human base in Earth orbit has been fueled by the United States’ refusal to give it access to the International Space Station (ISS).

The latter – a collaboration between the United States, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan – is expected to be withdrawn in 2024, although NASA says it could potentially remain in place beyond 2028.

When the mission was launched in June, the commander Not Haisheng He underlined the patriotic character of the operation.

“For decades, we have been writing glorious chapters in Chinese space history, and our mission embodies the hopes of the people and the Party itself.“, did he declare.

“This contribution opens up new horizons for humanity in the peaceful use of space,” President Xi Jinping said at the end of June, during a video communication with the crew.

The country’s space program is controlled by the military.

China has invested billions of dollars over the decades to catch up with space powers like the United States and Russia..

Target: the Moon

After launching its first satellite in 1970, China sent its first astronaut into space in 2003. In 2013, it placed a robot on the moon.

The Asian giant also plans to send astronauts to the Moon before 2030 and build a base in collaboration with Russia.

As for Mars, Chinese engineers sent a remote-controlled robot that landed on the Red Planet last May.

China had achieved a new success in January 2019 with a world first: the landing of a remote-controlled robot (the “Jade Rabbit 2”) on the far side of the Moon.

With information from Europa Press and AFP

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