| Acronym | Meaning |
| TDRS | Tracking And Data Relay Satellite |
| NGC | New General Catalog |
| JEM | Japanese Experiment Module |
| NLDP | National Launch Development Program |
| BDB | Big Dumb Booster |
| APL | Applied Physics Laboratory (at Johns Hopkins) |
| RTG | Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator |
| OGO | Orbiting Geosurvey Observatories |
| VLA | Very Large Array |
| TM | Thematic Mapper |