Glossary
For those of us who can never remember what one of those acronyms mean.
ACS – Attitude Control System
ADS – Auto Destruct System
AIAA – American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
ASI – Italian Space Agency
ASRM – Advanced Solid Rocket Motor
ATV – Automated Transfer Vehicle
BECO – Booster Engine Cut Off
CAIB – Columbia Accident Investigation Board
CEV – Crew Exploration Vehicle
CG – Center of Gravity
COTS – Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
COTS – Commercial Off The Shelf
CSA – Canadian Space Agency
CxP – Constellation Program
DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
DCM – Docking Cargo Module (Russian Segment)
DEL – Deorbit, Entry, and Landing
DoD – Department of Defense
DSN – Deep Space Network
EAFB – Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
ECLSS – Environmental Control and Life Support System
EDL – Entry Descent & Landing
EELV – Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
ELV – Expendable Launch Vehicle
EML – Earth Moon Lagrange point
EOI – Earth Orbit Insertion
EOR – Earth Orbit Rendezvous
ESA – European Space Agency
ESAS – Exploration Systems Architecture Study
ET – External Tank (Space Shuttle)
EVA – Extra-Vehicular Activity
FGB – Functional Cargo Block (Russian acronym). Zarya module.
GAO – Government Accountability Office
GEM – Graphite-Epoxy Motor
GEO – Geostationary Earth Orbit
GLOW – Gross Lift Off Weight
GPS – Global Positioning System
GSFC – Goddard Space Flight Center
HAB – Habitat Module
HEO – High Earth Orbit
HLR – Human Lunar Return
HSF – Human Space Flight
HSG – Houston Support Group
HST – Hubble Space Telescope
IAA – International Academy of Astronautics
ICBM – InterContinental Ballistic Missile
IMLEO – Initial Mass in Low Earth Orbit
ISP – Initial Specific Impulse
SRU – In Situ Resource Utilization
IOC – Initial Operational Capability
ISS – International Space Station
ITAR – International Traffic in Arms Regulations
IUS – Inertial Upper Stage, earlier Interim Upper Stage
JEM – Japanese Module
JLP – JEM Logistics Platform
JPL – Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JSC – Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas
JUS – Jupiter Upper Stage
JWST – James Webb Space Telescope
LAS – Launch Abort System
LEO – Low Earth Orbit
LH2 – Liquid Hydrogen
LIDS – Low Impact Docking System
LOC – Loss of Crew
LOI – Lunar Orbit Injection
LOM – Loss Of Mission
LOR – Lunar Orbit Rendezvous
LOS – Loss Of Signal
LOV – Loss of vehicle
LOX – Liquid Oxygen
LRB – Liquid Rocket Booster – (shuttle external fuel tank)
LRL – Apollo Lunar Receiving Laboratory
LRV – Apollo Lunar Rover Vehicle
LRO – Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
LROC – Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
LSAM – Lunar Surface Access Module
LV – Launch Vehicle
MAF – Michoud Assembly Facility
Max Q – Maximum Dynamic Pressure, the maximum aerodynamic stress on a spacecraft in atmospheric flight
MECO – Main Engine Cut Off
MES – Main Engine Start
MMU – Manned Maneuvering Unit
MSFC – Marshall Space Flight Center
MSL – Mars Science Laboratory
MTV – Mars Transfer Vehicle
NASA – National Space and Aeronautics Administration
NEO – Near Earth Object
NAC – Narrow Angle Camera (LROC)
NIH – Not Invented Here
NOAA – National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
OAA – Orbiter Access Arm
ODS – Orbiter Docking System
OEV – Orion Exploration Vehicle
OMS – Orbital Maneuvering System
OSC – Orbital Sciences Corporation
OSP – Orbital Space Plane
OSTP – Office of Science and Technology Policy
PDR – Preliminary Design Review
POTUS – President of the United States
PSI – Pounds per Square Inch
PV – Photovoltaic
PVR – Photo Voltaic Radiator
PWR – Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
RCS – Reaction Control System
RDS – Russian Docking System
RF – Radio Frequency
RFI – Request for Information
RFP – Request for Proposal
RLV – Reusable Launch Vehicle
RMS – Remote Manipulator System (shuttle robotic arm)
RSC-E – Rocket & Space Corporation Energia
RSO – Range Safety Officer
RSRB – Recoverable Solid Rocket Booster
RSRM – Reusable Solid Rocket Motor
SDLV – Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle
SECO – Second stage Engine Cut Off
SEL – Sun Earth Lagrange point
SESE – School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU
SJL – Sun Jupiter Lagrange point
SOFI – Spray On Foam Insulation
SRB – Solid Rocket Booster
SSC – Stennis Space Center
SSME – Space Shuttle Main Engine
SSSRB – Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
SSRMS – Space Station Remote Manipulator System
SSTO – Single Stage To Orbit
STS – Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle)
TDRS – Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
TLI – Trans Lunar Insertion
TSTO – Two Stage To Orbit
UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UDMH – Unsymmetrical DiMethyl Hydrazine
UHF – Ultra High Frequency (300 MHz to 3 GHz)
ULA – United Launch Alliance
UPS – Uninterruptible Power Supply
US – Upper Stage
USA – United Space Alliance
UTC – Universal Time Clock, all time zones are measured relative to UTC. Also known as GMT and ZULU
VAB – Vehicle Assembly Building
VAFB – Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
VSE – Vision for Space Exploration
WAC – Wide Angle Camera (LROC)
WBC – Wide Body Centaur
