Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will have the unique opportunity to observe the far side of the moon during the upcoming Artemis 2 mission, a part of NASA’s Artemis program. The far side of the moon, also known as the dark side, is not visible from Earth due to gravitational locking with our planet. Contrary to popular belief, the far side receives as much sunlight as the near side.
Characterized by a rugged, crater-filled surface, the far side stands in stark contrast to the near side, which features vast flat plains known as “Maria.” This region is of particular interest to astronomers for setting up radio telescopes due to its quiet environment shielded from Earth’s radio noise.
During the Artemis 2 mission, Hansen will journey 7,500 kilometers past the moon, providing a rare perspective of both the far side and the Earth simultaneously. Unlike previous Apollo missions that orbited close to the equatorial regions, Hansen’s trajectory will offer a broader view of the lunar surface.
The crew will conduct detailed observations of the moon’s surface during the flyby, leveraging the human eye’s ability to discern subtle details that cameras might miss. These observations are crucial for understanding ground conditions that could impact future spacecraft landings.
Future missions to the far side, such as the Japanese TSUKUYOMI project, aim to deploy radio telescopes to study the early universe during the dark ages. By detecting faint radio signals emitted by neutral hydrogen gas post-big bang, scientists hope to unravel the mysteries of dark matter’s influence on the evolution of the cosmos.
In addition to TSUKUYOMI, other initiatives like LuSEE Night and NASA’s Farside Seismic Suite are set to explore the lunar far side in the coming years. Plans for lunar observatories by NASA and ESA are also in progress, focusing on establishing colonies and investigating water ice at the moon’s south pole.
As humans venture to the moon for exploration and potential colonization, robotic missions on the far side will delve into the universe’s origins and evolution, uncovering the secrets of our cosmic past.