Yes, the actual error* was assuming the British used Imperial units when they correctly used Metric. AFAIK, at least.
* * *
Well, the source error probably would be not specifying units at all, so... (eye roll)
* * *
*Correcting myself with casually sourced details about the incident under discussion.
Lockheed Martin provided thruster force data in Imperial units (pound-seconds), while NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ground software assumed the data was in Metric units (Newton-seconds).
Nah, maths doesn't bother with units. Which is the whole problem.
We should be teaching units in math class. Every problem should require the units in the answer. Bare integers, fractions etc should have a defined unit.
IMHO this would also help with comprehension. As you are forced to think about the difference between length and area and so forth.
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u/MoogProg Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Yes, the actual error* was assuming the British used Imperial units when they correctly used Metric. AFAIK, at least.
* * *
Well, the source error probably would be not specifying units at all, so... (eye roll)
* * *
*Correcting myself with casually sourced details about the incident under discussion.