| Acronym | Meaning |
| JERS | Japanese Earth Resources Satellite |
| TAL | Transatlantic Abort Landing |
| HERA | Hermes Robotic Arm |
| OARE | Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment |
| CG | Center Of Gravity |
| MFPE | Misson From Planet Earth |
| ESO | European Southern Observatory |
| RMS | Remote Manipulator System |
| SPOT | Systeme Probatoire Pour L'Observation De La Terre |
| MDSSC | McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Corp |