| Acronym | Meaning |
| SOB | Strap-On Booster |
| PVO | Pioneer Venus Orbiter / Protivo-Vosdushniya Oborona |
| ISAS | Institute Of Space AND Astronautical Science |
| CREAM | Cosmic Radiation Effects And Activatiom Monitor |
| SR | Special Relativity |
| YSO | Young Stellar Object |
| OCTW | Optical Communications Through The Shuttle Window |
| BFCS | Backup Flight Control System |
| MDSSC | McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Corp |
| IBSS | Infrared Background Signature Survey |