Final answer:
The loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter was due to human error in failing to convert English units to metric, resulting in a navigation error and the spacecraft's destruction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to a naval disaster involving the USS Thresher. However, due to the context provided, it's likely the student is asking about either the USS Maine or the Mars Climate Orbiter, as there is no mention of the USS Thresher in the details provided. The USS Maine was an American naval ship that exploded in 1898, leading to the Spanish-American War, and its sinking was later attributed to an internal explosion rather than external sabotage. On the other hand, the Mars Climate Orbiter was a NASA spacecraft that was lost due to a metric conversion error in 1999, where NASA engineers failed to convert English measures of rocket thrust to metric units.
For the Mars Climate Orbiter: Human error led to the loss of the spacecraft, as engineers did not properly convert thrust measurements from English units to metric, specifically pounds to newtons, causing the Mars Climate Orbiter to approach Mars at a dangerously low altitude where it was destroyed by atmospheric forces.