When Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian astronaut, embarks on the Artemis 2 mission beyond the moon, one of his tasks will involve observing the far side of the moon, which remains unseen from Earth. Concurrently, scientists on Earth will be monitoring closely as they plan to deploy telescopes and robots to explore deep space from that vantage point.
The moon exhibits a dual nature, being gravitationally locked to Earth, always presenting one side to Earth and the other side to outer space. While often referred to as the “dark side,” it receives sunlight just like the Earth-facing side.
Distinguished by a rugged, crater-covered terrain, the far side of the moon contrasts with the near side, known for its expansive flat plains called “Maria.” This secluded region is shielded from terrestrial radio interference, making it an appealing location for astronomers to set up radio telescopes.
Access to the far side of the moon is only possible through spacecraft, granting Hansen a rare opportunity to witness sights unseen by most humans since the Apollo era. Unlike earlier explorers who orbited close to the moon’s equatorial regions, Hansen will venture 7,500 kilometers beyond the moon, offering a unique view of the entire globe and the Earth-moon conjunction.
During the lunar flyby on the Artemis mission, the crew will meticulously observe the lunar surface through windows, leveraging the human eye’s ability to discern subtle nuances in color and texture that cameras might overlook. These observations aid in assessing ground conditions crucial for potential spacecraft landings.
Among the proposed missions to the far side is the TSUKUYOMI, a Japanese project aiming to deploy a series of radio dishes on the lunar far side to probe the universe’s early stages, known as the “dark ages.” By detecting faint radio signals emitted by neutral hydrogen gas from that era, researchers hope to unravel the mysteries surrounding dark matter’s influence on the universe’s evolution.
Other initiatives, such as the LuSEE Night observatory from the University of Boulder Colorado and NASA’s Farside Seismic Suite, are set to join TSUKUYOMI in studying the moon’s far side. Additionally, NASA and ESA have early-stage plans for lunar observatories.
While human moon missions concentrate on establishing a colony and searching for water ice at the south pole, their landing sites will maintain visibility with Earth for communication purposes. On the concealed far side of the moon, robots will be stationed, gazing out into the cosmos and delving into the origins of the universe and time.