| Acronym | Meaning |
| E | Elliptical (for Galaxies) |
| AFP | Air Force Program |
| BMDO | Ballistic Missile Defense Office |
| POCC | Payload/Platform Operations Control Center |
| UARS | Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite |
| DARPA | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time |
| DSS | Deep Space Station |
| ISU | International Space University |
| MLI | Multi-Layer Insulation |