| Acronym | Meaning |
| MPEC | Multi-Purpose Experiment Canister |
| U3P | Union Pour La Promotion De La Propulsion Photonique |
| FPD | Flight Projects Directorate |
| MISR | Multiangle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer |
| JCMT | James Clerk Maxwell Telescope |
| LH | Liquid Hydrogen |
| CMBR | Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation |
| GHRS | Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph |
| UVPI | Ultraviolet Plume Instrument |
| AFETR | USAF's ETR |