| Acronym | Meaning |
| CIRRIS | Cryogenic InfraRed Radiance Instrument For Shuttle |
| ZHR | Zenith Hourly Rate |
| HTVL | Horizontal Takeoff Vertical Landing |
| ESRO | European Space Research Organisation |
| ESO | European Southern Observatory |
| MODIS | Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer |
| BH | Black Hole |
| SPS | Solar Power Satellite |
| HMC | Halley Multicolor Camera |
| MACS | Modular Attitude Control System |