Firing the thrusters would have caused the pod to move in the opposite direction

The region where the moon is above, and the opposite side on the earth, will therefore experience high tides while the places at right angles (on the surface of the earth in relation to the moon position) will experience low tides.The moon's gravitational pull generates something called the tidal force. The tidal force causes Earth—and its water—to bulge out on the side closest to the moon and the side farthest from the moon. These bulges of water are high tides. ... High tides and low tides are caused by the moon.Because the Earth rotates through two tidal “bulges” every lunar day, coastal areas experience two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes