Question

In December of 1998, NASA launched the Mars Climate Orbiter (MCO) to orbit Mars as the planet's first weather satellite. The MCO was destroyed in September of 1999 when it entered Mars’ orbit at an altitude of 60 kilometers. It was supposed to enter Mars’ orbit at an altitude of 150 kilometers. This disaster was caused by a unit conversion error involving the thrusters. The data were sent in pounds to NASA, but NASA was expecting the data in Newtons.

If a thrust of 640 Newtons is required for the MCO to orbit, what is the thrust in pounds?(1 lb ≈ 4.45 Newtons) Round your answer to the nearest pound.

Answer 1

The thrust required for the Mars Climate Orbiter (MCO) to orbit in pounds is approximately 143 pounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the thrust in pounds, we can use the conversion factor provided: 1 pound is approximately equal to 4.45 Newtons. Given that the required thrust is 640 Newtons, we can use the conversion factor to find the equivalent thrust in pounds. Using the formula Thrust in pounds = Thrust in Newtons / Conversion factor, we calculate 640 / 4.45 ≈ 143 pounds.

The unit conversion error that led to the destruction of the Mars Climate Orbiter was a critical oversight in the communication of data between different units. In this case, the thruster data were sent in pounds, but NASA was expecting the data in Newtons. The correct conversion is crucial to ensure that the spacecraft receives the accurate specifications for its operations, avoiding catastrophic errors like the one that occurred with the MCO.

In conclusion, the conversion from Newtons to pounds is an essential step in engineering and space exploration to ensure that all data and specifications are communicated accurately. The Mars Climate Orbiter incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of precise unit conversions in scientific and engineering endeavors.