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
- 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 to a solid square on the orbit.
- ApA
- apoapsis apoapsis altitude
- ApD
- apoapsis apoapsis distance
- ApR
- apoapsis 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