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Decadal Acronym List (PDF) as of April 1st 2009

Glossary and Acronyms


AANM   Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium Survey

ACEIT   Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools

ACIS   AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer

ACS   Attitude Control System

ASIC   Application Specific Integrated Circuit

ADAM™   ABLE Deployable Articulated Mast

ADR   Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator

ADRC   ADR Controller

AGILE   An Italian Space Agency mission

AGN   Active Galactic Nucleus

AIAA   American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

AIRS   Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

AO   Announcement of Opportunity

APS   Active Pixel Sensor

ASCA   Advanced Satellite for Cosmology & Astrophysics

ASIC   Application-Specific Integrated Circuit

ASIST   Advanced System for Integration and Spacecraft Testing

AST   Autonomous Star Tracker

ASTEROID   A new 64 channel ASIC

ATP    Authorization to proceed

AXAF   Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility

BBXRT   Broad Band X-ray Telescope

BEE   Back End Electronics

BEPAC   Beyond Einstein Program Assessment Committee

BH   Black Hole

BHC   Black Hole Candidates

BHFP   Black Hole Finder Probe

BI   Back-Illumination

BOL   Beginning of Life

C&DH   Command and Data Handling

CAD   Computer-Aided Design

CAD   Cost Analysis Division

CADR   Continuous Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator

CALDB   Calibration Database

CAMEX ASIC    CMOS Analog Multiplexing

CASG   Cost Analysis Steering Group

CAT   Critical Angle Transmission

CAT[GS]   Critical Angle Transmission [Grating Spectrometer]

CBE   Current Best Estimate

CCD   Charge-Coupled Device

CCE   Cryocooler Control Electronics

CCHPs   Constant Conductance Heat Pipes

CCSDS   Consultative Committee for Space Data System

CDF   Chandra Deep Field South

CDR   Critical Design Review

CE   Control Electronics

CEH   Cost Estimating Handbook

CESR   Centre d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements

CEU   Central Electronic Units

CfA   Center for Astrophysics

CFRP   Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic

CGRO   Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

CIAO   Chandra Interactive Analysis of Observations

CL   Confidence-level

CMOS   Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor

CNES   French space agency

COBE   Cosmic Background Explorer

Con-X   Constellation-X

COTS   Commercial Off-the-Shelf

CPU   Central Processing Unit

Ct   Critical Temperature

DA   Data Analysis

DC   Direct Current

DE   Dark Energy

DEA   Detector Electronics Assembly

DEPFET   Depleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor

DET   Direct Energy Transfer

DEU   Detector Electronics Unit

DM   Dark Matter

DM   Deployment Module

DS-1   Deep Space 1, a German mission

DS-CdTe   Double-sided Strip Cadmium Telluride

DSN   Deep-Space Network

DSSD   Double-sided Si Strip Detector

EA   Effective Area

EDU   Engineering Demonstration Unit

EELV   Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle

EGSE   Electrical Ground Support Equipment

ELV   Expendable Launch Vehicle

EO-1   Earth Observing-1

EOB   Extendable Optical Bench

EOL   End of Life

EOS   Earth Observing System

EoS   Equations of State

EPIC   European Photon Imaging Camera

EPO   Education and Public Outreach

EPS   Electrical and Power Subsystem

ESA   European Space Agency

ESLOC   Equivalent Software Lines Of Code

ETU   Engineering Test Unit

EURECA   European Retrievable Carrier

FCB   Feedback/Controller Box

FEDS   Front End Data System

FEM   Finite Element Modeling

FIP   Fixed Instrument Platform

FITS   Flexible Image Transport System

FMA   Flight Mirror Assembly

FMS   Fixed Metering Structure

FOV   Field of View

FPGA   Field Programmable Gate Arrays

FRR   Flight Readiness Review

FSW   Flight Software

FTE   Full Time Equivalent

FTOOLS   A highly modular collection utilities FITS

FWC   Filter Wheel Control Electronics

FWHM   Full Width Half Maximum

FY   Fiscal Year

GAS   Grating Assembly Structure

GEMS   Gravity and Extreme Magnetism mission

GMSEC    Goddard Space Flight Center Mission Services Evolution Center

GN&C   Guidance, Navigation & Control

GNC   Guidance, Navigation & Control

GOES   Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites

GOES-R    Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series

GOLD   Goddard Open Learning Design

GOTS   Government off-the-shelf

GPD   Graphical Pilot Display

GPM   Global Precipitation Measurement mission

GR   General Relativity

GS   Ground System

GSE   Ground Support Equipment

GSFC   Goddard Space Flight Center

H   hyperbolic

H/K   housekeeping

HEASARC   High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center

HEFT   High Energy Focusing Telescope

HESSI   High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager

HETG   High Energy Transmission Grating

HGA   High Gain Antenna

HK   Housekeeping data

HPD   Half Power Diameter

HQ   Headquarters

HST   Hubble Space Telescope

HTRS   High Time Resolution Spectrometer

HUDF   Hubble Ultra-Deep Field

HV   High Voltage

HXI   Hard X-ray Imager

HXMM   Hard X-ray Telescope

HXT   Hard X-ray Telescope

HZ   Hydrazine

I&T   Integration and Test

I/F   Interface

I/O   Input/Output

ICE   Independent Cost Estimate

IDL   Instrument Design Lab

IGM   Intergalactic Medium

IIRT   Integrated Independent Review Team

IM   Instrument Manager

IM   Instrument Module

IMAGE   Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration

INAF   Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica

IP   Internet Protocol

IR   Infrared

ISAS   Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences

ISOC   IXO Science and Operations Center

ISS   International Space Station

ITAR   International Traffic in Arms Regulations

ITOS   Integrated Test and Operations System

IXO   International X-ray Observatory

JAXA   Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

JPL   Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JT   Joule-Thomson cooler

JWST   James Webb Space Telescope

KDP   Key Decision Point

KSC   Kennedy Space Center

LL   Lincoln Labs

LLNL   Lawrence Livermore National Labs

LM   Lockheed-Martin

LMXB   Low Mass X-ray Binary

LRD   Launch Readiness Date

LRO   Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

LV   Launch Vehicle

LVPC   Low Voltage Power Converter

MAP   Microwave Anisotropy Probe

MAR   Mission Assurance Requirements

MCR   Mission Confirmation Review

MDL   Mission Design Lab

MDP   Minimum Detectable Polarization

MDR   Mission Definition Review

MDS   Mission Data System

MEL   Master Equipment List

MEOP   Maximum Expected Operating Pressure

MIP   Movable Instrument Platform

MIRI   Mid-InfraRed Instrument

MIXS   Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer

MLI   Multi-Layer Insulation

MM   Mass Memory

MMS   Magnetosphere Multi-Scale satellite constellation

MO   Mission Operations

MO&DA   Mission Operations and Data Analysis

MOCM   Mission Operations Cost Model

MODA   Mission Operations & Data Analysis

MOR   Missions Operation Review

MPE   Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik

MS   Mission Simulation

MSFC   Marshall Space Flight Center

N/A       Not Available

NAR   Non-Advocate Review

NASA   National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEAR   Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous

NGST   Next Generation Space Telescope

NIST   National Institute of Standards and Technology

NPOESS   National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System

NRC   National Research Council

NS   Neutron Star

NTO   Nitrogen tetroxide (or dinitrogen tetroxide), rocket fuel

OAP   Optical Alignment Pathfinder

OB   Optical Bench

OGS   Objective Grating Spectrometer

OM   Observatory Manager

OM   Optics Module

OP   Optical path

ORR   Operations Readiness Review

P   parabolic

PA   Power Amplifier

PA&E   Program Analysis and Evaluation

PBB   Pre-Amplifier Bias Box

PDD   Payload Definition Document

PDR   Preliminary Design Review

PDU   Power Distribution Unit

PER   Pre-Environmental Review

PLF   Payload Fairing

PM   Project Manager

PPE   Pulse Processing Electronics

PRT   Positive Resistance Thermistors

PRICE-H   Parametric Review of Information for Costing and Evaluation Hardware

PSE   Power Supply Electronics

PSF   Point Spread Function

PSR   Pre-Shipment Review

QA   Quality Assurance

QE   Quantum Efficiency

QSO   Quasi - stellar Objects

RASS   ROSAT All-Sky Survey

RF   Radio Frequency

RFI   Request for Information

RFP   Request for Proposals

RGS   Reflection Grating Spectrometer

RIU   Remote Interface Units

ROM   Rough Order of Magnitude

ROSAT   Röntgensatellit - a German X-ray satellite telescope

RVDT   Rotary Variable Differential Transformer

RXTE   Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer

RY   Real Year

S/A   Solar Array

S/C   Spacecraft

S/N   Signal to Noise

SAO   Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

SAX   Satellite per Astronomia X-ray

SBIL   Scanning Beam Interference

SCG   Study Coordination Group

SDD   Silicon Drift Diodes

SDO   Solar Dynamics Observatory

SDS   Science Data System

SDT   Science Definition Team

SE   Systems Engineer

SEER-H   Software Estimation and Evaluation of Resources for Hardware

SIRU   Scalable Inertial Reference Unit

SLOC   Software Line of Code

SM   Spacecraft Module

S&MA   Safety and Mission Assurance

SMAAT   Suspension Mount and Alignment Transfer

SMBH   Super Massive Black Hole

SMEX   Small Explorer

SMILES   Superconducting Submilimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder

SNR   Signal-to-Noise Ratio

SOC   Science Operations Center

SOHO   Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

SPO   Silicon pore optic

SPT   South Pole Telescope

SQUID   Superconducting Quantum Interference Device

SR&T   Supporting Research and Technology

SRR   Systems Requirements Review

SRTMM   Shuttle Radar Topography Mapper mission

ST   Star Tracker

STEP   Satellite Test of the Equivalence Principle

STEREO   Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory

SVOM   Space multi-band Variable Object Monitor

SWG   Science Working Group

SXS   Soft X-ray Spectrometer

SXT   Soft X-ray Telescope

TADS   Telescope Aspect Determination System

TB   Thermal Balance

TBR   To Be Resolved

TCP/IP   Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

TDM   Time-Division-Multiplexing

TDRSS   Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System

TES   Transition Edge Sensor

TM   Telescope Module

TMCO   Technical, Management, Cost and Other

TOPEX   A joint satellite mission between NASA and CNES

TRACE   Transition Region Coronal Explorer

TRL   Technology Readiness Level

TRMM   A joint NASA and JAXA mission to monitor and study tropical rainfall

TT&C   Tracking, Telemetry and Command

TWINS   Two Wide- Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers mission

TWG   Telescope Working Group

UV   Ultraviolet

V&V   Verification and Validation

VELA   US group of satellites

VCHP   Variable Conductance Heat Pipes

WBS   Work Breakdown Structure

WFI   Wide Field Imager

WHIM   Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium

WMAP   Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

WP    White Paper

XEUS   X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy

XGS   X-ray Grating Spectrometer

XIS   X-ray Imaging Spectrometer

XMM   X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission

XMS   X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer

XPOL   X-ray Polarimeter

XQC   X-ray Quantum Calorimeter

XRB   X-ray Binary

XRCF   X-ray Calibration Facility

XRS   X-ray Spectrometer

XRT   X-ray Telescope

YTD   year-to-date

z   redshift


 
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