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 addon definitions
General spaceflight definitions

If you don't agree to a ordering of definitions, please complain in the talk page about the entry.

A

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

Autonomous Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned cargo spacecraft, see ATV.
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

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
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
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

launch control center
life cycle cost

LDEF: Long Duration Exposure Facility
LEO: Low earth orbit
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
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
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
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

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

See also

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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