| Acronym | Meaning |
| KPNO | Kitt Peak National Observatory |
| MOL | Manned Orbiting Laboratory |
| AU | Astronomical Unit |
| PLBD | Payload Bay Doors |
| COMSAT | Communications Satellite (Corporation) |
| TSPK | Tsentr Podgotovka Kosmonavti |
| GR | General Relativity |
| MCCC | Maragone Convection On Closed Containers |
| SIR | Shuttle Imaging Radar |
| NIST | National Institute For Standards And Technology |