The Mars Climate Orbiter was intended to enter
orbit at an altitude of 140-150 km (460,000-500,000 ft.) above Mars. However, a navigation error caused the spacecraft to reach as low as 57 km (190,000 ft.).
The spacecraft was destroyed by atmospheric stresses and friction at this low altitude. The navigation error arose because a
NASA subcontractor (
Lockheed Martin) used
Imperial units (
pound-seconds) instead of the
metric system.
went boom = destroyed
Amen to the rest of your statement!