| Acronym | Meaning |
| MPEC | Multi-Purpose Experiment Canister |
| SOFIA | Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy |
| SRB | Solid Rocket Booster |
| SL-J | SpaceLab Japan |
| RCI | Rodent Cage Interface |
| AURA | Association Of Universities For Research In Astronomy |
| MOLA | Mars Observer Laser Altimeter |
| GDCLS | General Dynamics Commercial Launch Services |
| IMU | Inertial Measurement Unit |
| TAI | International Atomic Time |