| Acronym | Meaning |
| SOFIA | Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy |
| RMS | Remote Manipulator System |
| SNG | Sodruzhestva Nezabisimikh Gosudarst |
| IFEA | Integrated Furnace Experiment Assembly |
| HAINS | High Accuracy Inertial Navigation System |
| OSCAR | Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio |
| VTHL | Vertical Takeoff Horizontal Landing |
| TRMM | Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission |
| IPMP | Investigations Into Polymer Membrane Processing |
| CNES | Centre National D'Etude Spatiales |