Here's why:
* The Moon's "Dark Side" isn't actually dark: The term "dark side" is misleading. It refers to the hemisphere of the Moon that faces away from Earth and therefore isn't visible to us. It receives sunlight just like the near side, rotating with the Moon as it orbits.
* Multiple Missions Have Imaged the Far Side: Numerous spacecraft, both NASA and international, have captured images and data of the lunar far side. These include missions like:
* Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): This mission has been orbiting the Moon since 2009 and has provided extensive high-resolution images of both sides.
* Clementine: A 1994 mission that mapped the lunar surface, including the far side, using various wavelengths.
* Chang'e-4: A Chinese mission that successfully landed on the lunar far side in 2019.
Therefore, there's no single "last" mission focused on the dark side of the Moon. It's a continuous area of study with various missions providing data and insights.
