THE SOFTWARE HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Mars Climate Orbiters Loss, 1999

Launched in December 1998, the Mars Climate Orbiter disappeared in September 1999. The satellite either burned up or broke apart in Mars' atmosphere. An investigation board concluded that NASA engineers failed to convert English measures of rocket thrusts to newton, a metric system measuring rocket force.


Several Sources:

mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/news/mco991110.html
www4.cnn.com/TECH/space/9911/10/orbiter.03/
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/reports/1999/MCO_report.pdf
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/reports/1999/MCO_charts.pdf