Newtonian physics is still what people learn in there school science class, so hardly a failure. Just not precise enough to fully explain how the universe works. Even quantum theory fails to explain everything.
Newton didn’t address only this one issue.
He has a broad body of work that holds up very well.
Sometimes articles get a bit myopic.
We would be very fortunate to have as solid a spot in the scientific community as Newton does.
All theories are models, not realities.
Some models are more accurate (yet not more true) than others.
I would use a Bohr Atom to teach a young child, not Orbital Theory or Quantum Mechanics.
A 1/48 P-51D Mustang model is generally more accurate than a 1/72 P-51D Mustang model (and neither one is a real P-51D Mustang!). The larger one is not true, making the smaller one false; the larger one is more accurate, making the smaller one less accurate.
Isaac Newton was a genius, and Newtonian Physics is quite useful. Usefulness is what matters in the real world.
Centrifugal Force is not “real”; yet many of us use that term. The sun does not “really” rise or set, yet many of us use the terms, sunrise and sunset.