| Acronym | Meaning |
| USML | United States Microgravity Laboratory |
| NSF | National Science Foundation |
| KTB | Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary |
| SSPO | Space Shuttle Program Office |
| LDEF | Long Duration Exposure Facility |
| BDB | Big Dumb Booster |
| NS | Neutron Star |
| NIST | National Institute For Standards And Technology |
| ESRIN | European Space Research Institute |
| FUSE | Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer |