| Acronym | Meaning |
| RCC | Reinforced Carbon-Carbon |
| FPM | Fiber Pulling In Microgravity |
| ROUS | Rodents Of Unusual Size |
| SSME | Space Shuttle Main Engine |
| ELV | Expendable Launch Vehicle |
| IRFNA | Inhibited Red Fuming Nitric Acid |
| APM | Atmospheric Particle Monitor |
| CBR | Cosmic Background Radiation |
| FWHM | Full Width At Half Maximum |
| WIYN | Wisconsin/Indiana/Yale/NOAO Telescope |