List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
This list contains definitions for Orbiter or important spaceflight acronyms or abbreviations, especially those appearing in MFDs and various HUD modes.
One entry in this list consists of a term with one or more definitions, like:
- Term
- Definition
;Term:Definition
Don't use links in the term part of a entry, please do so in the definition part, for keeping a consistent look-and-feel and don't putting to much emphasis on a single definition.
Terms without definitions will get moved to the talk page into the section "Wanted definitions". If you have multiple definitions for a term, the definition part should turn into a numbered list, like:
- Term
- Definition 1
- Definition 2
- Definition 3
;Term: #Definition 1 #Definition 2 #Definition 3
The order of the definitions should be like that:
- Orbiter HUD definitions
- Orbiter MFD definitions
- General Orbiter definitions
- Orbiter Add-on definitions
- General spaceflight definitions
If you don't agree to a ordering of definitions, please complain in the talk page about the entry.
See also
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- AgP
- Argument of periapsis:The angle in the orbit from the point of the ascending node to the point of periapsis, Used in OrbitMFD.
- AN
- ascending node:a vector in an orbit where the body passes from south to north of the plane of reference (i.e. ecliptic or equatorial). Shown in OrbitMFD as a dotted vector line connecting a solid square on the orbit.
- ApA
- apoapsis altitude
- ApD
- apoapsis distance
- ApR
- apoapsis radius
- ApT
- time to apoapsis
- Alt
- altitude
- AORP
- Autonomous Orbiter Rapid Prototype, a system to allow a shuttle orbiter to land without crew.
- atmo
- atmosphere
- AR
- acceptance review
- ATV
B
- BMW
- Bate, Mueller, White - authors of Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (1971)
C
- CaLV
- Cargo launch vehicle, see Ares V
- CDI
- course deviation indicator
- CDR
- commander
- critical design review
- CEV
- Crew expedition vehicle, see CEV
- CFD
- computational fluid dynamics
- CLV
- Crew launch vehicle, see Ares I
- COAS
- Crew Optical Alignment Sight
- COM
- communication or communicator
- CTD
- crash to desktop
- CTRL
- Control
- CTV
- Crew Transfer Vehicle, a manned spacecraft derived from the ATV, see CTV
- Compatibility Test Van, NASA
- CVEL
- closing velocity
- Common Vessel Extensions Light, see CVEL
D
- DN
- descending node
- DDT&E
- design, development, test and evaluation
- DG
- Delta-glider
- DGIII
- DeltagliderIII, a famous enhanced version of the Delta-glider.
- DGIV
- DeltaGliderIV, an improved version of the DeltaGliderIII.
- DG4
- Orbiter's stock DG
- DG-S
- Delta-glider equiped with two scramjets.
- DIV
- divergent, i.e. yaw gimbal mode.
- Dir
- direction
- Dist
- distance
- DLng
- longitude difference, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
- DNP
- dynamic pressure
- DNS
- atmospheric density
- DPS
- Data Processing System. Term describing the general purpose computers and their interfaces onboard various manned spacecraft.
- DST or Dst
- distance (to target)
- DTe
- time to ejection, as seen on the transfer MFD
- DTi
- time to intercept, as seen on the transfer MFD
- DTmin
- time of arrical difference, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
- Dv
- delta velocity, as seen on the transfer MFD, see also Delta-V
E
- Ecc
- eccentricity
- ECL
- plane of the ecliptic
- ECSS
- european cooperation for space standardization
- ECLSS
- Environmental control and life support system
- EELV
- Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
- ESA
- European Space Agency
- ESAS
- Exploration Systems Architecture Study
- ET
- external tank
- EQU
- plane of the equator
- EVA
- Extra vehicular activity, see EVA
F
- FGB
- Russian abbreviation for Functional Cargo Block. See FGB
- FoV
- field of view, as seen in the general information display
- FPS
- frame rate (frames per second), as seen in the general information display
- FRF
- Flight Readiness Firing, a launch countdown test of the Shuttle running all except SRB ignition and lift-off.
G
- g
- a unit of acceleration. 1g equals the gravity acceleration on earths surface, 9.81 m/s²
- GL
- Used often as vehicle name prefix for a Delta-glider
- GET
- Ground Elapsed Time [2]
- GLOC
- Gravity-induced Loss of Consciousness
- GMT
- Greenwich Mean Time.See Universal Time on Wikipedia
- GPDS
- Generic Payload Description System
- GPS
- Global Positioning System
- GS
- ground speed
- GTO
- geostationary transfer orbit
H
- H
- Horizon
- HAC
- Heading Alignment Cone
- HLLV
- heavy lift launch vehicle
- HUD
- heads up display
- HSI
- horizontal situation indicator
- HST
- Hubble Space Telescope
- HTO
- hypothetical transfer orbit, as seen on the transfer MFD
I
- IAS
- indicated air speed [3]
- IDS
- instrument docking system
- ILS
- instrument landing system
- International launch services, a US-russian joint venture marketing Atlas and Proton launches
- Inc
- Inclination (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclination)
- ISP
- specific impulse
- ISS
- International Space Station
J
- JD
- Julian date
- JWST
- James Webb Space Telescope
- JSC
- Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
K
- KISS
- "Keep it simple, stupid!" Famous engineering dogma.[4]
- KSC
- Kennedy Space Center
L
- LAN
- longitude of ascending node or local-area network
- LCC
- launch control center
- life cycle cost
- LDEF
- Long Duration Exposure Facility
- LEO
- Low earth orbit
- LH2
- Liquid Hydrogen
- LOCV
- Loss of crew and vehicle
- LOX
- Liquid Oxygen
- LPe
- longitude of periapsis
M
- m
- metre
- M
- Mega (SI prefix for 106). Occasionally mass or mach number
- MCC
- mid course correction
- mission control center
- MCC-H
- mission control center Houston
- MCC-M
- mission control center Moscow
- MDR
- mission definition review
- MECO
- main engine cutoff
- MET
- Mission Elapsed Time. See Mission Elapsed Time on Wikipedia.
- MFD
- multifunction display, see MFD
- MJD
- modified Julian date
- MLP
- Mobile Launcher Platform
- MMOD
- Micrometeorites and orbital debris
- MMU
- manned maneuvering unit, see MMU
- MnA
- mean anomaly
- MnL
- mean longitude
- MSx
- Mission Specialist x
- m/s
- meters per second, the SI base unit of velocity
N
- NAV
- navigation
- navigation aid
O
- OAT
- outside air temperature
- Ob
- obliquity of ecliptic (tilt of axis of rotation against plane of ecliptic)
- OBS
- omni bearing selector
- OBT
- orbit, as seen on the orbit MFD
- OMBUU
- Orbiter Midbody Umbilical Unit
- OMP
- Orbiter Multiplayer Project, an ongoing program to create a multiplayer server in Orbiter.
- OMS
- Orbital Maneuvering System, the 'main engines' of the space shuttle orbiter
- OS
- orbital speed
P
- P
- position (sometimes radius) vector, as seen on the align orbital plane MFD
- p0
- atmospheric pressure at sea level
- PAM
- Payload Assist Module, a family of solid upper stages for the Space Shuttle
- PAPI
- Precision Approach Path Indicators, lit runway centerline.
- PB
- Shuttle PB
- PDR
- preliminary design review
- PDRS
- Payload Deployment and Retrieval System, the official name of the robot arm of the Space Shuttle
- PRR
- preliminary requirements review
- PeA
- periapsis altitude. Altitude of periapsis above the surface of the orbited body
- PeD
- periapsis distance. See PeR.
- PeR
- periapsis radius. Distance of periapsis from the center of the orbited body
- PeT
- time to periapsis in seconds.
- PG
- prograde
- PLT
- Pilot
- PMI
- Principal moments of inertia, see PMI
- Pos
- position
- PRJ
- projection, as seen on the orbit MFD
- PSx
- Payload Specialist x
Q
- QR
- qualification review
R
- R
- mean radius
- specific gas constant
- r0
- atmospheric density at sea level
- Rad
- radial distance
- angular unit radians
- RAnm
- true anomaly of reference axis, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
- RCS
- reaction control system, spacebourne orientation rocket system.
- R&D
- research and development
- RDT&E
- research, development, testing and evaluation
- RInc
- relative inclination, as seen on the align orbital plane MFD
- RVel
- relative velocity
- RG
- retrograde
- RKA
- Russian Space Agency
- RMS
- Remote Manipulator System
- RS
- Russian-side, used as prefix for orientation when describing ISS components.
- RSLS
- Redundant set launch sequencer, the computer systems responsible for the ignition of the SSMEs in the Space Shuttle orbiter.
- RTFM
- Read the fine (or many other f-words) manual, a typical forum answer for questions already answered extensivly in the manual.
- RTLS
- Return to launch site, a Space Shuttle abort mode.
S
- SAR
- Search and rescue.
- Syntetic aperture radar, a radar mode used for creating navigation maps or detect slowly moving ground vehicles.
- S/C
- spacecraft
- SDK
- Software Development Kit [5]
- SDLV
- Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle, see Ares
- SDHLV
- Shuttle Derived Heavy Launch Vehicle, see Ares V
- SECO
- Secondary Engine Cutoff
- Sustainer Engine Cutoff
- Sim
- simulation time (in seconds), as seen in the general information display
- a common abbreviation for "simulator"
- SHP
- ship, as seen on the orbit MFD
- Sh-ToR
- ship time-on-reference, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
- SI unit
- The metric system of measurement, the modern name, see SI unit
- SLF
- shuttle landing facility, see Cape Canaveral
- SMa
- semi-major axis
- SSME
- Space Shuttle Main Engines [6]
- SMi
- semi-minor axis
- SRB
- Solid Rocket Booster [7]
- SRTM
- Shuttle radar topography mission, see SRTM.
- SSTO
- Single Stage to Orbit
- STOVL
- Short take-off, vertical landing. As performed by the DG on full fuel employing hover thrusters during takeoff.
- STP
- static pressure
- STS
- space transportation system, AKA space shuttle, see space transportation system
T
- Tgt
- target, esp. in docking mode
- Tg-ToR
- target time-on-reference, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
- T
- orbit period, measured in seconds
- TAS
- true air speed [8]
- TAEM
- Terminal Area Energy Management
- TEI
- Trans Earth Injection[9]
- TKS
- russian spacecraft for the Almaz program, see TKS
- TLA
- Three letter acronym for a three letter acronym.
- TLE
- two-line elements
- TLe
- eject longitude, as seen on the transfer MFD
- TLi
- intercept longitude, as seen on the transfer MFD
- TLI
- Trans Lunar Injection
- Tn
- time to node, as seen on the align orbital plane MFD
- TOFS
- tangential offset docking MFD
- TrA
- true anomaly
- TRK
- Track ship, as displayed by map MFD
- TrL
- true longitude
- TRL
- technology readiness level
- Ts
- length of siderial day
- Tth
- predicted thrust time, as seen on the align orbital plane MFD
- TVEL
- tangential velocity
U
- UMMU
- Universal manned maneuvering unit, popular add-on, see Universal MMU.
- UNKS
- unknown problems, you are aware of.
- UNK-UNKS
- unknown problems, you are not aware of.
- UT
- universal time, GMT. Not to be confused with UTC (Universial Time Co-ordinated). The latter is based on atomic clocks not astronomy, hence the occasional leap-second to correct UTC to GMT.
V
- VASI
- Visual Approach Slope Indicator, the glideslope lighting system ajacent to runways to guide pilots onto the correct angle of glideslope (normally 3 degrees).
- VC
- virtual cockpit
- Visual C++, an IDE and C++ compiler by Microsoft.
- Vel
- velocity
- VOR
- very high frequency omnidirectional radio
- VS
- vertical speed
- VSA
- Virtual Space Agency
- VTOL
- Vertical Take Off and Landing
W
- WBS
- work breakdown structure
- WPD
- work package description
- Wrp
- time acceleration factor, seen in the general information display
X
- XPDR
- transponder
Y
- YSC
- Yokohama Science Center
Z
- ZM
- zoom, as seen on the map MFD
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z