The first spacecraft to observe the far side of the Moon was the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft, launched on October 4, 1959.

While the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning the same side always faces us, Luna 3 was able to capture the first images of the lunar far side. The spacecraft flew around the Moon and took pictures, which were then developed and transmitted back to Earth.

This mission was a significant achievement in space exploration, providing humanity with the first glimpse of the hidden half of our celestial neighbor.