List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

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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
  1. Definition 1
  2. Definition 2
  3. Definition 3
;Term:
#Definition 1
#Definition 2
#Definition 3

The order of the definitions should be like that:

  1. Orbiter HUD definitions
  2. Orbiter MFD definitions
  3. General Orbiter definitions
  4. Orbiter addon definitions
  5. 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

AF
AgP
argument of periapsis
AN
ascending node
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
  1. Autonomous Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned cargo spacecraft, see ATV.
  2. Automated Transfer Vehicle[1]
AU
astronomical unit

B

BMW
Bate, Mueller, White - authors of Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (1971)

C

CaLV
Cargo launch vehicle, see Ares V
CDI
course deviation indicator
CDR
  1. commander
  2. 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
  1. Crew Transfer Vehicle, a manned spacecraft derived from the ATV, see CTV
  2. Compatibility Test Van, NASA
CVEL
  1. closing velocity
  2. 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
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
  1. instrument landing system
  2. International launch services, a US-russian joint venture marketing Atlas and Proton launches
Inc
Inclination
ISP
specific impulse
ISS
International Space Station

J

JD
Julian date
JWST
James Webb Space Telescope

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
  1. launch control center
  2. life cycle cost
LDEF
Long Duration Exposure Facility
LEO
Low earth orbit
LOX
Liquid Oxygen
LPe
longitude of periapsis

M

m
metre
M
Mega (SI prefix for 106). Occasionally mass or mach number
MCC
  1. mid course correction
  2. 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
  1. navigation
  2. 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
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
  1. mean radius
  2. specific gas constant
r0
atmospheric density at sea level
Rad
  1. radial distance
  2. angular unit radians
RAnm
true anomaly of reference axis, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
Rate
rate of change, as seen on the align orbital plane 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
  1. Search and rescue.
  2. 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
  1. Secondary Engine Cutoff
  2. Sustainer Engine Cutoff
Sim
  1. simulation time (in seconds), as seen in the general information display
  2. 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
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]
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
  1. virtual cockpit
  2. Visual C++, an IDE and C++ compiler by Microsoft.
Vel
velocity
VOR
very high frequency omnidirectional radio
VS
vertical speed
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