| Acronym | Meaning |
| VECO | Vernier Engine Cutoff |
| OAO | Orbiting Astronomical Observatory |
| CZCS | Coastal Zone Color Scanner |
| FRF | Flight Readiness Firing |
| DOE | Department Of The Environment |
| ATDRS | Advanced Tracking And Data Relay Satellite |
| THIR | Temperature/Humidity Infrared Radiometer |
| ESRIN | European Space Research Institute |
| AXAF | Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility |
| WIMP | Weakly Interacting Massive Particle |