Landing a spacecraft on the moon has long been a series of hits and misses. Only five countries have done it. Firefly Aerospace on Sunday became the first private outfit to put a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over. Last year, Intuitive Machines put the U.S. back on the moon for the first time since the Apollo era, but its lander ended up tipping over. Landings by private companies are part of NASA’s effort to support commercial deliveries to the moon ahead of astronaut missions later this decade. Landing a spacecraft on the moon has long been a series of hits and misses. Only five countries have done it. Firefly Aerospace on Sunday became the first private outfit to put a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over. Last year, Intuitive Machines put the U.S. back on the moon for the first time since the Apollo era, but its lander ended up tipping over. Landings by private companies are part of NASA’s effort to support commercial deliveries to the moon ahead of astronaut missions later this decade. AP Technology and Science
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