| AASEM |
Assembly of Station by EVA Methods |
| ACCESS |
Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure
|
| ACS |
Advanced Camera for Surveys |
| ACTS |
Advanced Communications Technology Satellite |
| AERCam Sprint |
Autonomous EVA Robotic Camera/Sprint |
| AFB |
Air Force Base |
| AIUS Agroresurs |
Avtomatizirovannaya Informatsionno-Upravlencheskaya Sistema
Agroresurs (Automatic Information Direction System Agroresurs) |
| Almaz |
Codename for a Soviet military space station |
| ALSEP |
The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) comprised a
set of scientific instruments placed by the astronauts at the landing site of
each of the five Apollo missions to land on the Moon (Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16,
and 17). The ALSEP was stored in the LM's Scientific Equipment (SEQ) Bay in two
separate subpackages. The base of the first subpackage formed the Central
Station while the base of the second subpackage was part of the RTG
(radioisotope thermoelectric generator). A subpallet was also attached to the
second subpackage which usually carried one or two of the experiments and the
antenna gimbal assembly. |
| AMN |
Akademiya Meditsinskikh Nau = Academy of Medical Sciences |
| AMOS |
Air Force Maui Optical System |
| AMS |
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, also designated AMS-02, is a
particle physics experiment module that is mounted on the International Space
Station. It is designed to measure antimatter in cosmic rays and search for
evidence of dark matter. This information is needed to understand the formation
of the Universe. |
| AMU |
The Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU) was designed by the U.S. Air
Force. It was a backpack using hydrogen peroxide as the fuel. The total delta-v
capability of the AMU was about 250 feet per second (76.2 meters per
second). |
| AN |
Akademiya Nauk = Academy of Sciences (of the USSR) |
| AO Gazkom |
Aktsionernoye Obshchestvo Gazkom = Joint Stock Company
Gazkom |
| APM |
Atmospheric Particle Monitor |
| APU |
An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that
provides energy for functions other than propulsion. The Space Shuttle APUs
provided hydraulic pressure. The Space Shuttle had three redundant APUs,
powered by hydrazine fuel. They functioned during a powered ascent, re-entry,
and landing. During ascent, the APUs provided hydraulic power for gimballing of
Shuttle's engines and control surfaces. During landing, they powered the
control surfaces and brakes. Landing could be accomplished with only one APU
working. |
| ASA/T |
Advanced Suborbital Astronaut Trainee |
| ASCS |
Automatic Stabilization and Control System |
| ASI |
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana = Italian Space Agency |
| ASSR |
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic |
| ASTP |
Apollo Soyuz Test Project |
| ASTRO |
ASTRO was a Spacelab observatory consisting of four astronomical
telescopes: Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); Wisconsin Ultraviolet
Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT),
mounted on the Instrument Pointing System (IPS). The Instrument Pointing System
consisted of a three-axis gimbal system mounted on a gimbal support structure
connected to a Spacelab pallet at one end and the aft end of the payload at the
other, a payload clamping system for support of the mounted experiment during
launch and landing, and a control system based on the inertial reference of a
three-axis gyro package and operated by a gimbal-mounted microcomputer. The
Broad-Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) and its Two-Axis Pointing System (TAPS)
rounded out the instrument complement. |
| AT&T |
American Telephone & Telegraph Corporation |
| ATDA |
The Augmented Target Docking Adapter was a backup vehicle for the
GATV. The ATDA was designed to allow docking, but lacked the propulsion
capability of the Agena rocket. |
| ATLAS |
Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science |
| ATM |
Apollo Telescope Mount. The ATM, was a solar observatory attached
to Skylab. There were 8 major solar studies instruments on the mount. Combined,
they could observe the Sun in light wavelengths from 2 to 7000 Å
(angstroms), which corresponds to soft X-ray, ultraviolet, and visible light.
The film magazines had to be changed out by the crew during spacewalks. |
| ATO |
Abort To Orbit |
| ATV |
The Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is an expendable,
pressurized unmanned resupply spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency
(ESA). ATVs are designed to supply the International Space Station (ISS) with
propellant, water, air, payloads, and experiments. ATVs can also reboost the
station into a higher orbit. Each ATV weighs 20.7 tons at launch and has a
cargo capacity of 8 tons. The pressurized volume is 45 m³. With the ATV is
docked, the station crew enters the cargo section and removes the payload. |
| B.S. |
Bachelor of Science |
| B.S.E. |
Bachelor of Science in Engineering |
| BBC |
British Broadcasting Corporation |
| BBXRT |
Broad Band X-Ray Telescope |
| CapCom |
Capsule Communicator, now: Spacecraft Communicator |
| CANEX |
Canadian experiments |
| CBOSS |
Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System |
| CDR |
Commander |
| CEO |
Crew Earth Observations |
| CERN |
European Organization for Nuclear Research |
| CETA |
Crew Equipment Translation Aid Cart is one of the largest pieces
of extravehicular activity (EVA) equipment built for the International Space
Station (ISS). The CETAs are launched as integrated parts of the S1 and P1
Truss segments. Crewmembers can propel themselves and accompanying hardware
manually along the Mobile Transporter (MT) rails. On orbit, the two CETA carts
are located one on each side of the MT for usage flexibility. If required, a
cart may be moved to the other side of the MT to complement the other cart. The
CETA has attachment points for other EVA hardware such as the ORU Transfer
Device (OTD), also known as the Space Crane; Articulating Portable Foot
Restraint (APFR); EVA Tool Stowage Device (ETSD); and a host of other small
crew and equipment restraining tools. During ISS assembly operations,
crewmembers will also use CETA as a work platform to reach 90 percent of the
worksites safely. |
| CFES |
Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System |
| CMG |
A control moment gyroscope (CMG) is an attitude control device
generally used in spacecraft attitude control systems. A CMG consists of a
spinning rotor and one or more motorized gimbals that tilt the rotor's angular
momentum. As the rotor tilts, the changing angular momentum causes a gyroscopic
torque that rotates the spacecraft. CMGs differ from reaction wheels. The ISS
employs a total of four CMGs as primary actuating devices during normal flight
mode operation. The objective of the CMG flight control system is to hold the
space station at a fixed attitude relative to the surface of the Earth. |
| CMP |
Command Module Pilot |
| CNES |
Centre National de Etudes Spatiales = French Space Agency |
| COLA |
Collision Avoidance Maneuver |
| COSTAR |
Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement |
| CRISTA |
Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the
Atmosphere |
| CRO |
Chemical Release Observation |
| CRS |
Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) are contracts signed by NASA
in 2008 for the delivery of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) by
commercial firms. The cargo transport missions are provided by SpaceX and by
Orbital Sciences. |
| CSA |
Canadian Space Agency |
| CSM |
Command & Service Module. The CSM consisted of two segments:
the Command Module, a cabin which housed a crew of three and equipment needed
for re-entry and splashdown; and a Service Module that provided propulsion,
electrical power and storage for various consumables required during a mission.
The Command Module was a truncated cone (frustum) measuring 10 feet 7 inches
(3.2 m) tall and having a diameter of 12 feet 10 inches (3.9 m) across the
base. The Service Module was an unpressurized cylindrical structure, measuring
24 feet 7 inches (7.5 m) long and 12 feet 10 inches (3.9 m) in diameter. |
| DAFT |
The Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test |
| DASA |
DaimlerChrysler Aersospace Corporation |
| Dextre |
Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator
(SPDM), is a two armed robot, or telemanipulator, which is part of the Mobile
Servicing System on the International Space Station (ISS), and extends the
function of this system to replace some activities otherwise requiring
spacewalks. Dextre resembles a headless torso fitted with two extremely agile,
3.35 meters (11 ft) arms. The 3.5 meter long body pivots at the "waist". The
body has a grapple fixture at one end that can be grasped by the larger Space
Station Arm, Canadarm2 so that Dextre can be positioned at the various Orbital
Replacement Unit (ORU) worksites around the Space Station. The other end of the
body has an end effector virtually identical to that of Canadarm2, so that
Dextre can be stored on Space Station grapple fixtures. At the end of Dextre's
arms are ORU/Tool Changeout Mechanisms (OTCM). The OTCM has built-in grasping
jaws, a retractable socket drive, a monochrome TV camera, lights, and an
umbilical connector that can provide power, data, and video to/from a
payload. |
| DIU |
Data Interface Unit |
| DLR |
German Aerospace Center |
| DMP |
Docking Module Pilot |
| DoD |
Department of Defense |
| DOSAAF |
Dobrovolnoye Obshchestvo Sodeistviya Armii, Aviatsii i Flotu =
Free Will Society for the Support of the Army, Aviation and Fleet |
| DSCS |
Defense Satellite Communications System |
| D.V.M. |
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine |
| DVO |
Dalnevostochny Voyenny Okrug = (Far East Military District) |
| DXS |
Diffuse X-Ray Spectrometer |
| EAC |
European Astronaut Center |
| EASE |
Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular
Activity |
| EASEP |
Early Apollo Surface Experiments Package. Since there was only
one 2 hour 40 minute EVA planned, the crew would not have enough time to deploy
a full ALSEP, which usually took one to two hours to deploy. |
| EDFT |
EVA Development Flight Tests |
| EDO |
The Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) program was a project by NASA
to prepare for long-term microgravity research aboard Space Station. The
Extended Duration Orbiter Cryogenic kit (EDO-pallet or CRYO) is a
15-foot-diameter (4.6 m) assembly of equipment which attached vertically to the
payload bay rear bulkhead of an orbiter. The EDO tanks stored 368 pounds (167
kg) of liquid hydrogen at -418 degrees Fahrenheit (-250 °C), and 3,124
pounds (1,417 kg) of liquid oxygen at -285 degrees Fahrenheit (-176 °C).
Total empty weight of the system was 3,571 pounds (1,620 kg). When filled with
cryogens, the system weight was approximately 7,000 pounds (3.2 t). |
| ELC |
An ExPRESS logistics carrier (ELC) is an unpressurized attached
payload platform for the International Space Station (ISS) that provides
mechanical mounting surfaces, electrical power, and command and data handling
services for Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) as well as science experiments on
the ISS. (ExPRESS stands for Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the
Space Station.) |
| EO |
Ekspeditsiya Osnovnaya (Main Expedition) |
| EOM |
Earth Observation Mission |
| EPAS |
Eksperimentalny Polyot Apollon-Soyuz = Experimental Flight
Apollo-Soyuz |
| EPOS "Spiral" |
Eksperimentalny Pilotiruyamy Orbitalny Samolyot Spiral =
Experimental Piloted Orbital Aircraft Spiral |
| FPP |
Floating Potential Probe |
| ERA |
Experimental deployable structure |
| ERA |
European Robotic Arm (ESA) |
| ERBS |
The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) was a NASA scientific
research satellite to study the Earths radiation budget and stratospheric
aerosol and gases. |
| ESA |
European Space Agency |
| ESPAD |
External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2) Attachment Device (ESPAD) is
a two-part mechanism, with one part containing the active ESPAD claw, which
provided a temporary structural connection for the ESP-2 when it was first
installed. The other half is passive and remained connected to ESP-2. |
| ESLS |
Redundant Sequence Launch Sequencer |
| ESP |
External Stowage Platforms (ESPs) are key components of the
International Space Station (ISS). Each platform is an external pallet that can
hold spare parts, also known as Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs), for the space
station. |
| ESTEC |
European Space Research and Technology Centre in Nordwijk (The
Netherlands) |
| ESTR |
Engineering / Science Tape Recorder |
| EURECA |
The European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) was an unmanned 4.5
tons satellite with 15 experiments. EURECA was made of high-strength
carbon-fiber struts and titanium nodal points joined together to form a
framework of cubic elements. It was three-axis stabilized by means of a
magnetic torque assembly together with a nitrogen reaction control assembly
(RCA). |
| EuTEF |
European Technology Exposure Facility |
| EVA |
Extra Vehicular Activity |
| FE |
Flight engineer |
| FGB |
Functional Energy Block |
| FGS |
Fine Guidance Sensor |
| FOC |
Faint Object Camera |
| FOOT |
Foot/Ground Reaction Forces During Spaceflight experiment |
| FOS |
Faint Object Spectrograph |
| GAS |
Getaway Special was a NASA program that offered interested
individuals, or groups, opportunities to fly small experiments aboard the Space
Shuttle. The program, which was officially known as the Small, Self-Contained
Payloads program, was canceled following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on
February 01, 2003. |
| GATV |
Gemini Agena target vehicle. Each GATV consisted of an Agena-D
derivative upper rocket stage and a docking adapter. |
| GDR |
German Democratic Republic |
| GHRS |
Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph |
| GKNII |
Gosudarstvenny Krasnoznamenny Nauchno Issledovatelsky Institut
(State Red Banner Scientific Research Institute) |
| GKNPTs |
Gosudarstvenny Kosmichesky Nauchno-Proizvodstvenny Tsentr (State
Cosmic Research and Production Centre) |
| GLOMR |
Global Low-Orbiting Message Relay (GLOMR) was a data relay,
communications space craft and was expected to remain in orbit for
approximately 1 year. The purpose of the 150-pound, 62-side polyhedron
satellite was to demonstrate the ability to read signals and command
oceanographic sensors; locate oceanographic and other ground sensors, and relay
data from them to customers. |
| GLV |
Gemini launch vehicle |
| GMK |
Glavnaya Meditsinskaya Komissiya = Main Medical Commission |
| GMVK |
Gosudarstvennaya Mezhvedomstvennaya Komissiya = State
Interdepartmental Commission |
| GNTs |
Gosudarstwenny Nauchny Tsentr = State Scientific Centre |
| GOGU |
Glavnaya Operativnaya Gruppa Upravleniya = Main Operative Control
Group |
| GPC |
General Purpose Computer |
| GPS |
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite
navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather
conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line
of sight to four or more GPS satellites. A GPS receiver calculates its position
by precisely timing the signals sent by GPS satellites high above the Earth.
Each satellite continually transmits messages that include the time the message
was transmitted and, satellite position at time of message transmission. The
receiver uses the messages it receives to determine the transit time of each
message and computes the distance to each satellite using the speed of light.
Each of these distances and satellites locations defines a sphere. The receiver
is on the surface of each of these spheres when the distances and the
satellites locations are correct. These distances and satellites locations are
used to compute the location of the receiver using the navigation equations.
This location is then displayed, perhaps with a moving map display or latitude
and longitude; elevation or altitude information may be included. |
| GRO |
The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), originally Gamma Ray
Observatory (GRO), was a space observatory detecting light from 20 KeV to 30
GeV in Earth orbit from 1991 to 2000. It featured four main telescopes in one
spacecraft, covering X-rays and gamma rays, including various specialized
sub-instruments and detectors. It was the heaviest astrophysical payload ever
flown at that time at 17,000 kilograms (37,000 lb). |
| HSP |
High Speed Photometer |
| HST |
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space telescope that was
launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. With a
2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near
ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectra. Hubble has a length of 13.2 m
(43 ft), is 2.4 m (7.9 ft) in diameter and had a mass of 11,110 kg (24,490 lb)
at launch. |
| HST-SM |
Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission |
| HTV |
The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), also called Kounotori, is an
unmanned resupply spacecraft used to resupply the Kibo Japanese Experiment
Module (JEM) and the International Space Station (ISS). The HTV is about 9.8 m
long (including maneuvering thrusters at one end) and 4.4 m in diameter. Total
mass is 10.5 tons, with a 6,000 kilograms (13,000 lb) payload. The baseline
configuration uses one pressurized and one unpressurized segment and can carry
7,600 kg of cargo in total and is 9.2 m long. When two pressurized units are
used together the cargo decreases slightly to about 7,000 kg, and the overall
length is reduced to 7.4 m. |
| HUT |
Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope |
| IBSS |
Infrared Background Signature Survey |
| ICBC |
IMAX Cargo Bay Camera |
| ICC |
The Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) is an unpressurized flat bed
pallet and keel yoke assembly housed in the payload bay. Constructed of
aluminum, it is eight feet long, 15 feet wide and 10 inches thick and has the
capability to carry cargo on both faces of the pallet, both atop and
below. |
| IES |
Institut Elektrosvarki = Institute of Electric Welding |
| IIET |
Institut Istorii Estestvoznaniya i Tekhniki = Institute of the
History of Natural Sciences and Technology |
| IKI |
Institut Kosmicheskikh Issledovany (Space Research
Institute) |
| IMAX |
IMAX (an abbreviation for Image Maximum) is a motion picture film
format and a set of cinema projection standards. IMAX increases the resolution
of the image by using a much larger film frame. To achieve this, 65 mm film
stock passes horizontally through the camera, 15 perforations at a time
resulting in a speed of 102.7 meters per minute. Traditional 65 mm cameras pass
film vertically through the camera five perforations at a time resulting in a
speed of 34 meters per minute. In comparison, 35 mm film runs vertically
through the camera four perforations at a time, resulting in a speed of 27.4
meters per minute. |
| IMBP |
Institut Mediko-Biologicheskikh Problem = Institute of
Medico-Biological Problems |
| IML |
International Microgravity Laboratory |
| IPS |
Intrument Pointing System |
| IRCFE |
Infrared Communications Flight Experiment |
| IRT |
Integrated Rendezvous Target |
| ISRO |
Indian Space Research Organisation |
| ISS |
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a
habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. It is a modular structure
whose first component was launched in 1998. The ISS consists of pressurized
modules, external trusses, solar arrays and other components. The ISS program
is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos,
JAXA, ESA, and CSA. The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 330
km (205 mi) and 435 km (270 mi). The ISS has a length of 72.8 m (239 ft) and
his height is 20 m (66 ft). The orbital inclination is 51,6 degrees. |
| ISS-CDR |
International Space Station Commander |
| ISSI |
In Space Soldering Investigation |
| ITS |
The Integrated Truss Structure (ITS) forms the backbone of the
International Space Station, with mountings for unpressurized logistics
carriers, radiators, solar arrays, and other equipment. All truss components
were named after their planned end-positions: Z for zenith, S for starboard and
P for port, with the number indicating the sequential position. The S0 truss
might be considered a misnomer, as it is mounted centrally on the zenith
position of Destiny and is neither starboard nor port side. |
| IUS |
The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) was a two-stage solid-fueled
rocket upper stage. The IUS was used for raising payloads from low Earth orbit
to higher orbits. |
| IUS/SIGINT |
U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage |
| IVA |
Intra Vehicular Activity |
| IZMIRAN |
Institut Zemnovo Magnetizma, Ionosfery i rasprostraneniya
Radiovoln Akademii Nauk (Institute for Earth Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio
Propagation of the Academy of Sciences) |
| JAXA |
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |
| JEM |
Japanese Experiment Module |
| JEM EF |
Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility |
| JEM ELM-ES |
Japanese Experiment Module - Experiment Logistics Module Exposed
Section |
| JEM ELM PS |
Japanese Experiment Module Experiment Logistics Module
Pressurized Section |
| JEM PM |
Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Module |
| JEM RMS |
Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System |
| JPL |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| JSC |
Johnson Space Center |
| KB Salyut |
Konstruktorskoye Byuro Salyut = Design Bureau Salyut, Salyut =
Salutation |
| KBOM |
Konstruktorskoye Byuro Obshchego Mashinostroyeniya = General
Machine Building Design Bureau |
| KhAI |
Kharkovsky Aviatsionny Institut (Kharkov Aviation Institute) |
| KKSZh |
Kosmicheskaya Komissiya Soyuza Zhournalistov = Space Commission
of the Journalist-Union (of the USSR |
| KRT |
Kosmichesky Radioteleskop = Space Radio Telescope |
| KSC |
Kennedy Space Center |
| KVVA |
Krasnoznamennaya Voyenno-Vozdushnaya Akademiya (Red Banner Air
Force Academy) |
| LAGEOS |
LAGEOS, or Laser Geodynamics Satellites, are a series of
scientific research satellites designed to provide an orbiting laser ranging
benchmark for geodynamical studies of the Earth. Each satellite is a high
density passive laser reflector in a very stable medium Earth orbit (MEO). The
spacecraft are aluminum-covered brass spheres with a diameter of 60 cm and
masses of 400 and 411 kg, covered with 426 cube-corner retroreflectors, giving
them the appearance of giant golf balls. 422 of the retroreflectors are made
from fused silica glass, while the remaining 4 are made from germanium to
obtain measurements in the infrared for experimental studies of reflectivity
and satellite orientation. |
| LDEF |
The Long Duration Exposure Facility, or LDEF, was a school
bus-sized cylindrical facility designed to provide long-term experimental data
on the outer space environment and its effects on space systems, materials,
operations and selected spore's survival. |
| LF |
Logistics Flight |
| LGU |
Leningradsky Gosudarstvenny Universitet = Leningrad State
University |
| LIAP |
Leningradsky Institut Aviatsionnovo Priborostroyeniya (Leningrad
Institute for Aviation Instrument Building) |
| LII |
Lyetno-Isslyedovatyelskiy Institut = Flying Research Institute
(of MAP) |
| LITE |
Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment |
| LM |
Lunar Module. The LM, consisting of an ascent stage and descent
stage, was ferried to lunar orbit by its companion Command & Service Module
(CSM). The Ascent stage contained the crew cabin with instrument panels and
flight controls. It contained its own Ascent Propulsion System (APS) engine and
two hypergolic propellant tanks for return to lunar orbit and rendezvous with
the Apollo Command & Service Module. The Descent stage's primary job was to
support a powered landing and surface extravehicular activity. When the
excursion was over, it served as the launch pad for the ascent stage.
Octagon-shaped, it was supported by four folding landing gear legs, and
contained a throttleable Descent Propulsion System (DPS) engine with four
hypergolic propellant tanks. |
| LMC |
Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure
Carrier |
| LMI |
Leningradsky Mekhanichesky Institut = Leningrad Mechanical
Institut |
| LMP |
Lunar Module Pilot |
| LRV |
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) or lunar rover was a
battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three Apollo
missions. The Lunar Roving Vehicle had a mass of 463 lb (210 kg), which
resulted in a lunar weight of 77.2 lbf (35.0 kgf) - and was designed to hold a
payload of 1,080 lb (490 kg) on the lunar surface. The frame was 10 ft (3.0 m)
long with a wheelbase of 7.5 ft (2.3 m). The height of the vehicle was 3.6 feet
(1.1 m). The frame was made of aluminum alloy 2219 tubing welded assemblies and
consisted of a three-part chassis that was hinged in the center so it could be
folded up and hung in the Lunar Module Quadrant 1 bay. The wheels consisted of
a spun aluminum hub and a 32 inches (81 cm) diameter, 9 inches (23 cm) wide
tire made of zinc-coated woven 0.033 inches (0.84 mm) diameter steel strands
attached to the rim and discs of formed aluminum. Power was provided by two
36-volt silver-zinc potassium hydroxide non-rechargeable batteries with a
capacity of 121 A·h each (a total of 242 A·h), translating into a
range of 57 miles (92 km). |
| LS |
Laboratory Specialist |
| M.A.S. |
Master of Advanced Studies |
| M.B.A. |
Master of Business Administration degree |
| M.D. |
Doctorate of Medicine |
| M.S. |
Master of Science |
| MACE |
Middeck Active Control Experiment |
| MAI |
Moskovsky Aviatsionny Institut (Moscow Aviation Institute) |
| MAP |
Ministerstvo Aviatsionnoi Promuishlyennosti = Ministry of
Aviation Industries |
| MBS |
The Mobile Base System (MBS) is a base platform for the robotic
arm. The MBS is equipped with 4 Power Data Grapple Fixtures, one at each of its
four top corners. Either of these can be used as a base for the two robots,
Canadarm2 and Dextre, as well as any of the payloads that might be held by the
robots. |
| MEEP |
MIR Environmental Effects Payload |
| MET |
Modular Equipment Transporter |
| MFMG |
Miscible Fluids in Microgravity |
| MFTI |
Moskovsky Fisiko-Tekhnichesky Institut (Moscow
Physical-Technology Institute) |
| MGA |
Ministerstvo Grazhdanskoy Aviatsii = Ministry of Civilian
Aviation |
| MGPU |
Moskovsky Gorodskoy Pedagogichesky Universitet (Moscow City
Pedagogical University) |
| MGTU |
Moskovsky Gosudarstvenny Tekhnichesky Universitet (Moscow State
Technological University) |
| MGU |
Moskovsky Gosudarstvenny Universitet = Moscow State
University |
| MISSE |
The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) is a
series of experiments mounted externally on the International Space Station
(ISS) that investigates the effects of long-term exposure of materials to the
harsh space environment. MISSE is a direct successor of the MIR Environmental
Effects Payloads (MEEP) that were attached for over a year to the MIR Docking
Module of the space station MIR. |
| MIT |
Massuachusetts Institute of Technology |
| MKF |
Mnogozonalny Fotoapparat = Multi Channel Camera, Multi Spectral
Camera |
| MKS |
Mezhdunarodnaya Kosmicheskaya Stantsiya = International Space
Station |
| MLR |
Monodisperse Latex Reactor |
| MMU |
The Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) is an astronaut propulsion unit
that was used by NASA on three Space Shuttle missions in 1984. The MMU allowed
the astronauts to perform untethered EVA spacewalks at a distance from the
shuttle. Gaseous nitrogen was used as the propellant for the MMU. Two aluminum
tanks with Kevlar wrappings contained 5.9 kilograms of nitrogen each, enough
propellant for a six-hour EVA depending on the amount of maneuvering done.
Typical MMU delta-v (velocity change) capability was about 80 feet per second
(25 m/s). To operate the propulsion system, the astronaut used his fingertips
to manipulate hand controllers at the ends of the MMU's two arms. |
| MOL |
Manned Orbiting Laboratory |
| MPEC |
Multi-Purpose Release Canister |
| MPLM |
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) was a large pressurized
container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the
International Space Station (ISS). A MPLM was carried in the cargo bay of a
Shuttle and initially berthed to the Unity module but later the Harmony module
on the ISS. From there, supplies were offloaded, and finished experiments and
waste were reloaded. The MPLM was then reberthed in the Shuttle for return to
Earth. Three modules were built by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Leonardo,
Raffaello and Donatello. |
| MRM |
Rassvet (dawn), also known as the Mini-Research Module 1 (MRM-1)
and formerly known as the Docking Cargo Module (DCM), is a component of the
International Space Station (ISS). Rassvet has two docking units: one to attach
to the nadir port of the Zarya module, and one to provide a docking port for a
Soyuz or Progress spacecraft. |
| MSCA |
Mir Cooperative Solar Array |
| MSE |
Manned Spaceflight Engineer |
| MSFC |
Manned Spaceflight Center |
| MSG |
Microgravity Science Glovebox |
| MSL |
Microgravity Science Lab |
| MSS |
The Mobile Servicing System (MSS) is a robotic system and
associated equipment on the International Space Station (ISS). It moves
equipment and supplies around the station, supports astronauts working in
space, and services instruments and other payloads attached to the ISS. The MSS
is composed of the actual arm called Canadarm2 or SSRMS, the Mobile Remote
Servicer Base System (MBS) and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator
(SPDM). |
| MT |
The Mobile Transporter (MT) is an 885 kilograms (1,950 lb) (1,950
lb) assembly that glides down rails on the station integrated trusses. The
transporter measures 108 inches long, 103 inches wide and 38 inches high. It
glides 108 meters down rails on the ITS. |
| MVTU |
Moskovskoye Vyssheye Tekhnicheskoye Uchilishche (Moscow Higher
Technological School) |
| MSP |
Mission Specialist |
| NASA |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NASDA |
National Space Development Agency of Japan |
| NAVSPACECOM |
Naval Space Command |
| NICMOS |
Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer |
| NIIAP |
Nauchno Issledovatelsky Institut Avtomatiki i Priborostroyeniya =
Scientific Research Institute of Automatics and Instrument Building |
| NORAD |
North American Aerospace Defense Command |
| NPO |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye (Scientific Production
Association) |
| NPO Energiya |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye Energiya (Scientific
Production Association Energiya, Energiya = Energy) |
| NPO Kriogenmash |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye Kriogenmash (Scientific
Production Association Kriogenmash) |
| NPO Mash |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye Mashinostroyeniya
(Scientific Production Association Mashinostroyeniya, Mashinostroyeniya =
Machine Building) |
| NPO Molnya |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye Molniya (Scientific
Production Association Molniya, Molniya = Flash) |
| NPO VISP |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye Vsyosoyuznogo
Proyektno-Konstruktorskogo Institut Svarochnogo Proizvodstva = Scientific
Production Association named All-Union-States Project and Design Institute for
Welding Production |
| NPOE |
Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedineniye Energiya = Scientific
Production Association Energiya (since 1974 the designation of the former
TsKBEM |
| NTA |
Nitrogen Tank Assembly |
| OAMS |
orbit attitude and maneuver system |
| OAST |
Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology |
| OAST-Flyer |
Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-Flyer |
| OBSS |
The Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) was a 50-foot boom carried
on board NASAs Space Shuttles. The boom was grappled by the Canadarm and served
as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet
(30 m). At the far end of the boom was an instrumentation package of cameras
and lasers used to scan the leading edges of the wings, the nose cap, and the
crew compartment after each lift-off and before each landing. |
| OKB |
Opytno-Konstruktorskoye Byuro (Special Design Bureau) |
| OKP |
Obshchekosmicheskaya Podgotovka = General Space Training |
| OKPKI |
Otraslevoy Kompleks Podgotovki Kosmonavtov-Ispytateley (Branch
Complex of Test-Cosmonauts Prepearing) |
| OMS |
The Space Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) is a system of
hypergolic liquid-propellant rocket engines used on the Space Shuttle. The OMS
consists of two pods mounted on the Orbiters aft fuselage, on either side of
the vertical stabilizer. Each pod contains a single AJ10-190 engine, based on
the Apollo Service Module's Service Propulsion System engine, which produces
26.7 kilonewtons (6,000 lbf) of thrust with a specific impulse (Isp) of 316
seconds. Each engine could be reused for 100 missions and was capable of a
total of 1,000 starts and 15 hours of burn time. |
| ORFEUS |
Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet
Spectrometer |
| ORU |
Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) are key elements of the
International Space Station that can be readily replaced when the unit either
passes its design life or fails. Examples of ORUs are: pumps, storage tanks,
controller boxes, antennas, and battery units. All are stored on the three
External Stowage Platforms (ESPs) or the four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers (ELCs)
mounted on the Integrated Truss Structure (ITS). |
| OSS |
Office of Space Science |
| OSTA |
Office of Space and Terrestical Applications |
| OSTS |
Office of Space Transportation Systems |
| OTD |
ORU Transfer Device |
| PAM |
The Payload Assist Module (PAM) is a modular upper stage. The PAM
was used with the Space Shuttle, Delta, and Titan launchers and carried
satellites from low Earth orbit to a geostationary transfer orbit or an
interplanetary course. The payload was spin stabilized by being mounted on a
rotating plate. |
| PAMS |
Passive Aerodynamically Stabilized Magnetically-Damped
Satellite |
| PAO |
Priborno-agregatniy otsek = Instrument and aggregate module |
| PCG |
Protein Crystal Growth |
| PCU |
Power Control Unit |
| PDP |
Plasma Diagnostics Package |
| PDP |
Parashyutno-Desantnaya Podgotovka = Parachute Landing
Training |
| Ph.D. |
Doctorate of Philosphy degree |
| PLA |
Peoples Liberation Army - the China military force |
| PLAAF |
Peoples Liberation Army Air Force |
| PLT |
Pilot |
| PMA |
Pressurized Mating Adapters: The International Space Station
(ISS) uses three PMAs to interconnect spacecraft and modules with different
docking mechanisms. The first two PMAs were launched with the Unity module in
1998 aboard STS-88. The third was launched in 2000 aboard STS-92. All the PMAs
on the ISS are identical but used slightly differently, and all three perform
the same basic function of connecting a common berthing mechanism (CBM) port of
an ISS module to the Androgynous Peripheral Attach System (APAS) docking port
of another module or visiting spacecraft. For this the PMAs carry a passive CBM
port and a passive APAS port. They are pressurized and heated from the inside
and through docking rings as well as external connections allow for power and
data communications transfer. |
| PSP |
Payload Specialist |
| PVO |
Protivovozdushnaya Oborona = Anti Air Defense, Air Defense
Force |
| RAN |
Rossiyskaya Akademiya Nauk = Russian Academy of Sciences |
| RCA |
Radio Corporation of America |
| RCS |
A reaction control system (RCS) is a spacecraft system which uses
thrusters to provide attitude control, and sometimes translation. An RCS is
capable of providing small amounts of thrust in any desired direction or
combination of directions. An RCS is also capable of providing torque to allow
control of rotation (roll, pitch, and yaw). |
| REBA |
Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly |
| REP |
Radar Evaluation Pod |
| RGNII |
Rossysky Gosudarstwenny Nauchno Issledovatelsky Institut (Russian
State Scientific Research Institute) |
| RKKE |
Raketno-Kosmicheskaya Korporatsiya Energiya (Rocket and
Spacecraft Corporation Energiya, Energiya = Energy) |
| RMS |
Remote Manipulator System. The RMS was also known as Canadarm
(Canadarm 1). The Canadarm was 15.2 m (50 ft) long, and 38 cm (15 in) diameter
with six degrees of freedom. It weighed 410 kg (900 lb) by itself, and 450 kg
(990 lb) as part of the total system. The Canadarm had six joints that
corresponded roughly to the joints of the human arm, with shoulder yaw and
pitch joints; an elbow pitch joint; and wrist pitch, yaw, and roll joints. The
end effector was the unit at the end of the wrist that grappled the payload's
grapple fixture. The two lightweight boom segments were called the upper and
lower arms. The upper boom connected the shoulder and elbow joints, and the
lower boom connected the elbow and wrist joints. One crew member operated the
Canadarm from the aft flight deck control station. |
| RSC Energiya |
Rocket and Spacecraft Corporation Energiya |
| RSU |
Remote Sensing Units |
| RTLS |
Return to Launch Site |
| RVSN |
Raketnye Voiska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya = Rocket Troops for
Strategic Purpose, Strategic Rocket Force |
| RWA |
Reaction Wheel Assembly |
| SADE |
Solar Array Drive Electronics |
| SAFER |
Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue. SAFER is a small, self-contained,
propulsive backpack device that can provide free-flying mobility for a
spacewalker in an emergency. It is designed for self-rescue use by a
spacewalker in the event the Shuttle is unable or unavailable to retrieve a
detached, drifting crew member. It is attached to the spacesuit's Portable Life
Support System backpack and is designed for emergency use only. The propulsion
is provided by 24 fixed-position thrusters that expel nitrogen gas and have a
thrust of .8 lbs. and the three-pound supply of nitrogen can provide a
ten-foot-per-second change in velocity. |
| SAREX |
The Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), later called the
Space Amateur Radio Experiment, was a program that promoted and supported the
use of amateur (ham) radio by astronauts in low earth orbit aboard the United
States Space Shuttle to communicate with other amateur radio stations around
the world. An amateur operator license is needed before operating an amateur
station. |
| SARJ |
The Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ) contain Drive Lock
Assemblies which allow the outer segments of the ITS to rotate and track the
Sun. Each SARJ is 10 feet in diameter, weighs approximately 2,500 pounds and
can be rotated continuously using bearing assemblies and a servo control
system. |
| Sc.D. |
Doctorate of Science |
| SBS |
Satellite Business Systems |
| SDI |
Strategic Defense Initiative |
| SEEDS |
Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students |
| SEVA |
Standup-EVA |
| SFINCSS |
Simulation of Flight of International Crew on Space Station |
| SFSR |
Soviet Federated Socialist Republic |
| SFU |
The Space Flyer Unit (SFU) was launched from Tanegashima Space
Center from a H-II vehicle. It was carrying testing materials and research data
that held value to NASA. The SFU had a launch mass of 3,846 kilograms (8,479
lb). They retrieved the data from the Space Flyer Unit by Space Shuttle
Endeavour on January 20, 1996 (which was 10 months after the Space Flyer Unit
was launched. The idea behind the implementation of the SFU was a joint effort
by multiple major corporations. |
| SH-DM |
SPACEHAB Double-Module |
| SH-LSM |
SPACEHAB Logistics Single Module |
| SLP |
Spacelab Pallet |
| SLS |
Spacelab Life Science |
| SMD |
Shuttle Mission Development Test |
| SMDP |
Service Module Debris Protection |
| SMM |
Solar Maximum Mission |
| SPARTAN |
Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy. SPARTAN
was designed to carry a variety of experiments. SPARTAN was a rectangular
structure, 126 by 42 by 48 in.; weight 2,223 lb. including 300 lb. of
experiments. It was deployed and retrieved using the Canadian-built robot
arm. |
| SPAS |
Space Pallet Satellite |
| SPD |
Spool Positioning Devices |
| SPK Ikar |
Sredstvo Peredvizheniya Kosmonavta Ikar = Cosmonaut
Transportation Unit Ikar, Ikar = Ikarus |
| SRB |
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) were the pair of
large solid rockets used by the United States NASA Space Shuttle during the
first two minutes of its powered flight. Together, they provided about 83% of
liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. They were the white booster engines
located on each side of the orange-colored external propellant tank. Each SRB
produced 80% more liftoff thrust than one F-1 engine, the most powerful
single-chamber liquid-fueled rocket engine ever flown. Each SRB weighs
approximately 1,300,000 lb (590,000 kg) at launch. Each SRB had a height of
149.16 feet (45.46 m) and was 12.17 feet (3.71 m) in diameter. |
| SRL |
Space Radar Laboratory |
| SRMS |
Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. The original RMS was also
known as Canadarm (Canadarm 1) and was later renamed to SRMS. The Canadarm was
15.2 m (50 ft) long, and 38 cm (15 in) diameter with six degrees of freedom. It
weighed 410 kg (900 lb) by itself, and 450 kg (990 lb) as part of the total
system. The Canadarm had six joints that corresponded roughly to the joints of
the human arm, with shoulder yaw and pitch joints; an elbow pitch joint; and
wrist pitch, yaw, and roll joints. The end effector was the unit at the end of
the wrist that grappled the payload's grapple fixture. The two lightweight boom
segments were called the upper and lower arms. The upper boom connected the
shoulder and elbow joints, and the lower boom connected the elbow and wrist
joints. One crew member operated the Canadarm from the aft flight deck control
station. |
| SRTM |
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission |
| SS |
Spaceplane Specialist |
| SSPTS |
Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System |
| SSR |
Solid State Recorder |
| SSR |
Soviet Socialist Republic |
| SSRMS |
The Space Station Remote Manipulator System is also known as
Canadarm2. The system is 17.6 m (58 ft) when fully extended and has seven
motorized joints. It has a mass of 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) and a diameter of 35 cm
(14 in). The arm is capable of handling large payloads of up to 116,000 kg
(256,000 lb) and was able to assist with docking the space shuttle. In this
movement, it is limited only by the number of Power Data Grapple Fixtures
(PDGFs) on the station. PDGFs located around the station provide power, data
and video to the arm through its Latching End Effectors (LEEs). The arm can
also travel the entire length of the space station truss using the Mobile Base
System. |
| STIS |
Space Telescope Imaging Spectograph |
| STS |
Space Transportation System |
| STU |
Satellite Test Unit |
| SWIUS |
Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System |
| TAL |
Transatlantic Landing |
| TANG |
National Guard of Texas |
| TBS |
Tokyo Broadcasting System |
| TDRS |
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite |
| TKS |
Transportny Korabl Snabzheniya (Transport-Supply Ship) |
| TsKBEM |
Tsentralnoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro Eksperimentalnogo
Mashinostroyeniya (Central Design Bureau of Experimental Machine Building) |
| TsKBM |
Tsentralnoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro Mashinostroyeniya (Central
Design Bureau of Machine Building) |
| TsKBMF |
Tsentralnoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro Mashinostroyeniya - Fili =
Central Design Bureau of Machine Building - Fili Branch |
| TsPAT |
Tsentr Pokaza Aviatsionnoi Tekhniki = Show Centre of Aviation
Technology |
| TsPK |
Tsentr Podgotovki Kosmonavtov (Cosmonaut Training Center) |
| TSS |
The reusable Tethered Satellite System (TSS) was made up of a
satellite attached to the Shuttle orbiter by a super strong cord which should
be reeled into space from the Shuttle's cargo bay. The tether - which looked
like a 12-mile-long white bootlace - was scheduled to have
electrically-conducting metal strands in its core. The conducting tether should
generate electrical currents at a high voltage by the same basic principle as a
standard electrical generator - by converting mechanical energy. The Tethered
Satellite System had five major components: the deployer system, the tether,
the satellite, the carriers on which the system was mounted and the science
instruments. |
| TsSKB |
Tsentralnoye Spetsializirovannoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro Foton =
Central Special Design Bureau Foton, Foton = Photon |
| TsUP |
Tsentr Upravleniya Polyotam (Flight Control Center) |
| TsVNIAG |
Tsentralny Voyenny Nauchno Issledovatelsky Aviatsionny Gospital =
Central Military Scientific Research Aviation Hospital |
| TTM |
Tip-Tilt Mirror Telescope |
| UARS |
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) was a
NASA-operated orbital observatory whose mission was to study the Earths
atmosphere, particularly the protective ozone layer. The 5,900-kilogram (13,000
lb) satellite was deployed from the Space Shuttle. |
| UCLA |
University of California-Los Angeles |
| UF |
Utilization Flight |
| UIT |
Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope |
| ULF |
Utilization and Logistics Flight |
| URI |
Universalnui Rabotschi Instrument (Universal Working Tool) |
| USAF |
United States Air Force |
| USCG |
United States Coast Guard |
| USMC |
United States Marine Corps |
| USML |
United States Microgravity Laboratory |
| USMP |
U.S. Microgravity Payload |
| USN |
United States Navy |
| USNR |
United States Navy Reserve |
| USS |
United States Ship |
| UTC |
Coordinated Universal Time = GMT = Greenwich Mean Time |
| VAB |
Vehicle Assembly Building |
| VDU |
Vynosnaya Dvigatyelnaya Ustanovka = Outer Engine Unit |
| VfW |
Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke |
| VIA |
Voyenno-Inzhenernaya Akademiya (Military Engineering
Academy) |
| VIAVU |
Vyssheye Inzhenernoye Aviatsionnoye Voyennoye Uchilishche (Higher
Military Aviation School for Engineers) |
| VKIU |
Vyssheye Komandno-Inzhenernoye Uchilishche (Higher Military
School for Command-Engineers) |
| VKS |
Voyenno Kosmicheskiye Sily = Military Space Force |
| VMA |
Voyenno Morskaya Aviatsiya = Military Marine Aviation, Navy Air
Force |
| VMF |
Voyenno Morskoy Flot = Military Marine Force,
Navy |
| VNTsKh |
Vsyosoyuznogo Nauchnogo Tsentr Khirurgi = All-Union-States
Scientific Centre of Surgery |
| VTA |
Voyenno Transportnaya Aviatsiya = Military Transport Aviation,
Air Transport Force |
| VVA |
Voyenno Vozdushnaya Akademiya = Air Force Academy |
| VVAUL |
Vyssheye Voyennoye Aviatsionnoye Uchilishche Lyochikov (Higher
Military Aviation School for Pilots) |
| VVIA |
Voyenno Vozdushnaya Inzhenernaya Akademiya = Air Force
Engineering Academy |
| VVS |
Voyenno Vozdushniye Sily (Military Air Force) |
| WFPC |
Wide Field Planetary Camera |
| WSF |
The Wake Shield Facility is an experimental science platform. It
was a 3.7 meter (12 ft) diameter, free-flying stainless steel disk. The WSF was
deployed in the wake of the Space Shuttle at an orbital altitude of over 300
kilometers (186 mi), within the thermosphere, where the atmosphere is
exceedingly tenuous. The forward edge of the WSF disk redirected atmospheric
and other particles around the sides, leaving an ultra-vacuum in its wake. The
resulting vacuum was used to study epitaxial film growth. These included
gallium arsenide (GaAs) and aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs)
depositions. |
| WUPPE |
Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment |
