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 Add-on 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

ACT
Activate, command button in RCS attitude MFD in docking mode to activate the programmed orientation to the target dock
AgP
Argument of periapsis:The angle in the orbit from the point of the ascending node to the point of periapsis, displayed in Orbit MFD
Alt
altitude, distance from the body surface, used in Orbit MFD when Alt mode is selected to indicate distance from the surface of the body
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 Align MFD and Orbit MFD as a dotted vector line connecting to a solid square on the orbit.
AORP
Autonomous Orbiter Rapid Prototype, a system to allow a shuttle orbiter to land without crew.
ApA
apoapsis apoapsis altitude, the lowest altitude of an orbit, displayed in Orbit MFD.
ApD
apoapsis apoapsis distance
ApR
apoapsis apoapsis radius, displayed in Orbit MFD
ApT
time to apoapsis in seconds, displayed in Orbit MFD
AR
  1. Automatic Reference, used in Align MFD, Orbit MFD as a command button for Align to select a reference body automatically based on highest gravity
  2. Altitude Range, used to manually set the range in the altitude graph in Ascent profile MFD
  3. acceptance review
atmo
atmosphere
ATV
  1. Autonomous Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned cargo spacecraft, see ATV.
  2. Automated Transfer Vehicle[1]
AU
astronomical unit
AX
Axis, command button in RCS attitude MFD to change the selected axis beetween pitch/yaw/roll

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B

BAS
Basemode, command button to select programmed attitude (prograde, orbit normal, perpendicular in, radial down) in RCS attitude MFD
BMW
Bate, Mueller, White - authors of Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (1971)
BRG
Bearing, used in the Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD to indicate the compass direction of the ILS or VOR transmitter

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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
CFG
command button in RCS attitude MFD to switch to configuration page
CLV
Crew launch vehicle, see Ares I
CNC
Cancel, used in RCS attitude MFD in the docking mode to cancel the docking mode program
COAS
Crew Optical Alignment Sight
COM
communication or communicator
CRS
Course, indicates the ship's course (heading) in the Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD
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
CUR
Command button in RCS attitude MFD to set the programmed attitude to the current attitude
CVEL
  1. closing velocity
  2. Common Vessel Extensions Light, see CVEL

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D

D3D9
refers to the advanced graphics client in Orbiter
Da
Deviation, displayed in RCS attitude MFD to indicate how many degrees the ship has to go in Roll to reach programmed attitude
DCK
command button in RCS attitude MFD to set the MFD into Docking mode
DDT&E
design, development, test and evaluation
DEV
Deviation, in the Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD, it indicates how far the OBS is adjusted left or right of the radial
DG
Delta-glider
DG4
Orbiter's stock DG
DGIII
DeltagliderIII, a famous enhanced version of the Delta-glider.
DGIV
DeltaGliderIV, an improved version of the DeltaGliderIII.
DG-S
Delta-glider equiped with two scramjets.
Dir
direction
Dist
distance
DIV
divergent, i.e. yaw gimbal mode.
DLng
longitude difference, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
DN
  1. Down, used in Map MFD when Tracking mode is off and map zoomed in to scroll the map down so you can see farther South
  2. Command button in RCS attitude MFD to change the selected modification up so you can edit it
  3. descending node
DNP
dynamic pressure
DNS
atmospheric density
DPS
Data Processing System. Term describing the general purpose computers and their interfaces onboard various manned spacecraft
Dr
Deviation, displayed in RCS attitude MFD to indicate how many degrees until the ship reaches pitch and yaw alignment with the programmed attitude
DSP
Display, used in Map MFD to switch between Ground Track Display and Orbital Plane Display
DST or Dst
  1. Distance (to target), used in the Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD to indicate distance to the selected ILS or VOR transmitter
  2. Distance, used in Orbit MFD to select between Rad, ApR, PeR (distance from body center) and Alt, ApA, PeA (distance from body surface)
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

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E

Ecc
eccentricity of orbit, displayed in Orbit MFD
ECL
plane of the ecliptic
ECLSS
Environmental control and life support system
ECSS
european cooperation for space standardization
EELV
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
ELS
ELements, custom Select, used in Align MFD to select a custom orbital elements to which to align
END
command button in RCS attitude MFD to stop the programmed attitude mode
EQU
plane of the equator
ESA
European Space Agency
ESAS
Exploration Systems Architecture Study
ET
external tank
EVA
Extra vehicular activity, see EVA

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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.
FRM
Frame of reference, used in Orbit MFD to change the orbital display and parameters between Equatorial or Ecliptic

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G

G or g
  1. used in Orbit MFD, indicates what fraction of gravity is exerted on the ship by the reference body (0 to 1)
  2. unit of acceleration. 1g equals the gravity acceleration on earths surface, 9.81 m/s²
GET
Ground Elapsed Time [2]
GL
Used often as vehicle name prefix for a Delta-glider
GLOC
Gravity-induced Loss of Consciousness
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time.See Universal Time on Wikipedia
GO
Go, command button in RCS attitude MFD, once the desired orientation and modifications are set, to activate the program
GPDS
Generic Payload Description System
GPS
Global Positioning System
GS
ground speed
GTO
geostationary transfer orbit

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H

H
Horizon
HAC
Heading Alignment Cone
HLLV
heavy lift launch vehicle
HSI
horizontal situation indicator
HST
Hubble Space Telescope
HTO
hypothetical transfer orbit, as seen on the transfer MFD
HUD
heads up display, used in Docking MFD, Orbit MFD, Surface MFD to copy the current parameters to the HUD

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I

IAS
indicated air speed [3]
IDS
instrument docking system, used in Docking MFD
ILS
  1. instrument landing system
  2. also used in Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD to indicate which runway at which Spaceport is selected by the NAV system
  3. International launch services, a US-russian joint venture marketing Atlas and Proton launches
Inc
Inclination, angular difference between one orbit with respect to another, usually the ecliptic, equatorial, body orbit, or target orbit, displayed in Align MFD, Orbit MFD
INV
Inverse, command button in RCS attitude MFD to change the programmed attitude to the inverse (retrograde, orbit antinormal, perpendicular out, radial up)
ISP
specific impulse
ISS
International Space Station

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J

JD
Julian date
JSC
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
JWST
James Webb Space Telescope


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K

KISS
"Keep it simple, stupid!" Famous engineering dogma.[4]
KSC
Kennedy Space Center

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L

LAN
  1. Longitude of the ascending node, used in Align MFD, Orbit MFD
  2. local-area network
LCC
  1. launch control center
  2. 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, displayed in Orbit MFD
L/R
Left/Right, used in Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD to switch MFD mode focus to the left or right graphic display

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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
Multifunctional Display, see MFD
MHz
MegaHerz, same as the old term megacycles/second, radio and transponder frequency, used in COMNAV MFD
MJD
modified Julian date
MLP
Mobile Launcher Platform
MMOD
Micrometeorites and orbital debris
MMU
manned maneuvering unit, see MMU
MnA
mean anomaly, displayed in Orbit MFD
MnL
mean longitude, displayed in Orbit MFD
MOD
used in Orbit MFD to cycle the display between parameters only, orbital display only, or both
m/s
meters per second, the SI base unit of velocity
MSx
Mission Specialist x


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N

NAV
  1. Navigatonal receiver,
    1. in COMNAV MFD it is used to identify up to four receivers in the stack
    2. in Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD, it is used to select which receiver an HSI display is tuned to
    3. in RCS attitude MFD command button in Docking mode to slave one of the Nav receivers to this MFD
  2. navigation
  3. navigation aid
NT
No target, used in Orbit MFD to deselect the target

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O

OAT
outside air temperature
Ob
obliquity of ecliptic (tilt of axis of rotation against plane of ecliptic)
OB+ and OB-
OmniBearing, used to change the offset of the course arrow to left or right of the beam
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

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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
PeA
periapsis altitude. Altitude of periapsis above the surface of the orbited body, used in Orbit MFD
PeD
periapsis distance. See PeR.
PeR
periapsis radius. Distance of periapsis from the center of the orbited body, used in Orbit MFD
PeT
time to periapsis in seconds, displayed in Orbit MFD
PG
  1. Page, switching displayed pages in an MFD mode, used in Align MFD
  2. prograde
PLT
Pilot
PMI
Principal moments of inertia, see PMI
Pos
position
PRJ
Projection, used in the Orbit MFD to switch orbital display between Ecliptic, Equatorial, Ship's orbit, Target orbit
PRR
preliminary requirements review
PSx
Payload Specialist x

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Q

QR
qualification review

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R

R
  1. mean radius
  2. specific gas constant
+R and -R
  1. +R, command button in RCS attitude MFD to add a line (pitch, yaw, roll) to the programmed attitude
  2. -R, command button in RCS attitude MFD to remove the last line (pitch, yaw, roll) from the list of programmed attitude
r0
atmospheric density at sea level
Rad
  1. Displayed in Orbit MFD when Radius mode is selected to indicate distance from the center of the body in meters
  2. radial distance
  3. angular unit radians
RAnm
true anomaly of reference axis, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
Rate
How fast the current orbital plane is changing, degrees per second, used in Align MFD
RCS
reaction control system, spacebourne orientation rocket system.
R&D
research and development
RDT&E
research, development, testing and evaluation
REF
Reference
  1. used in Align MFD, Map MFD, Orbit MFD to select a reference body.
RG
retrograde
RInc
relative inclination, relative inclination between the current and target orbits, used in Align MFD
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.
RTN
Return, command button in RCS attitude MFD to return the display to the Active mode page
RVel
relative velocity

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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
SC< and SC>
SCan frequency up or down in the currently selected receiver, used in COMNAV MFD
SDK
Software Development Kit [5]
SDHLV
Shuttle Derived Heavy Launch Vehicle, see Ares V
SDLV
Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle, see Ares
SECO
  1. Secondary Engine Cutoff
  2. Sustainer Engine Cutoff
SET
Set, used in RCS attitude MFD to set the desired attitude
SHP
Ship, used in Map MFD to indicate your ship's name, position, altitude, course of your ship
Sim
  1. simulation time (in seconds), as seen in the general information display
  2. a common abbreviation for "simulator"
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
SL+ and SL-
Select, change which receiver to next or previous receiver to adjust frequency, used in COMNAV MFD
SLF
shuttle landing facility, see Cape Canaveral
SMa
semi-major axis, used in Orbit MFD
SMi
semi-minor axis, used in Orbit MFD
SRB
Solid Rocket Booster [6]
SRTM
Shuttle radar topography mission, see SRTM.
SSME
Space Shuttle Main Engines [7]
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
SUS
command button in RCS attitude MFD to suspend programmed attitude temporarily

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T

T
orbit period, measured in seconds, displayed in Orbit MFD
TAEM
Terminal Area Energy Management
TAS
true air speed [8]
TEI
Trans Earth Injection[9]
TGT
TarGeT
  1. command button used in Align MFD, Docking MFD, Map MFD, Orbit MFD to select a target
  2. used in the Map MFD display to indicate target name, position, altitude of the target
Tg-ToR
target time-on-reference, as seen on the synchronise orbit MFD
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, used in Align MFD
TOFS
tangential offset docking MFD
TrA
true anomaly, displayed in Orbit MFD
TRK
Track, used in map MFD to keep the ship centered in the map display
TrL
true longitude, displayed in Orbit MFD
TRL
technology readiness level
Ts
length of siderial day
TthA
Estimated thrust time at the ascending node to align planes, used in Align MFD
TthD
Estimated thrust time at the descending node to align planes, used in Align MFD
TVEL
tangential velocity

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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.
UP
  1. UP, used in Map MFD when Track mode is off and map is zoomed in to scroll the map up to see farther North
  2. Command button in RCS attitude MFD to change the selected modification up so you can edit it
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.

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V

+V and -V
Used in RCS attitude MFD to add or subtract one degree each click the programmed attitude mode
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, displayed in Orbit MFD
VOR
  1. very high frequency omnidirectional radio
  2. used in the Horizontal Situation Indicator MFD to indicate which VOR transmitter is selected by a NAV radio, if it's selected to a VOR transmitter
VRR
Velocity Radial Range, used to manually set the range in the Radial Velocity graph in Ascent profile MFD
VS
vertical speed
VSA
Virtual Space Agency
VTOL
Vertical Take Off and Landing
VTR
Velocity Tangential Range, used to manually set the range in the Tangential Velocity Range graph in Ascent profile MFD

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W

WBS
work breakdown structure
WPD
work package description
Wrp
time acceleration factor, seen in the general information display

X

XPDR
transponder, used in Docking MFD

Y

YSC
Yokohama Science Center

Z

ZM+ and ZM-
zoom,used in Map MFD to zoom the map display in and out

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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

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