How a Private Spacecraft’s Sideways Touchdown is Rewriting History

<p>Imagine this: A private spacecraft, the Nova-C lander, also known as &ldquo;Odysseus,&rdquo; has just made history by gracefully touching down on the moon&rsquo;s surface. But here&rsquo;s the twist &mdash; it landed sideways. Yes, you heard that right. In an event that feels like it&rsquo;s straight out of a sci-fi novel, Odysseus has reignited America&rsquo;s lunar exploration flame, marking the first time in over 50 years, since the legendary Apollo 17 mission, that we&rsquo;ve made our mark on the moon again.</p> <p>This wasn&rsquo;t just any mission. Launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Odysseus embarked on a six-day, 620,000-mile journey to the moon, aiming for a landing near the Malapert A crater, a site with strategic significance due to its proximity to potential water ice deposits at the lunar south pole. And despite a last-minute scare with its onboard instruments and a nail-biting moment of lost communication, the mission was a success, albeit with a sideways finale.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/@xchris11/how-a-private-spacecrafts-sideways-touchdown-is-rewriting-history-324879b81b47"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>