| Acronym | Meaning |
| TOPEX | Ocean Topography Experiment |
| HRI | High Resolution Imager |
| RCT | Radiometric Calibration Target |
| RMCD | Radaiation Monitoring Container Device |
| ISZ | Iskusstvenniy Sputnik Zemli |
| ATSR | Along Track Scanning Radiometer |
| TDRSS | Tracking And Data Relay Satellite System |
| SPARTAN | Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool For Astronomy |
| AGN | Active Galactic Nucleus |
| VLF | Very Low Frequency |