Event Brief
Mars Climate Orbiter destroyed by imperial/metric mix-up
Filed: Jun 21, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
Summary: NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter was torn apart after a units mix-up between imperial pounds and metric newtons.
WHO: NASA
WHAT: Mars Climate Orbiter was torn apart in Mars’s atmosphere due to an imperial-versus-metric units mix-up.
WHEN: Jun 21, 2026 at 11:55 AM ET
WHERE: Mars atmosphere
WHY: Software used imperial pound-force values that navigation software treated as metric newtons, pulling the spacecraft off course.
ℹ️ This event is analyzed using pattern arcs, velocity indicators, and source analysis in our MI Console.
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