| Acronym | Meaning |
| RMS | Remote Manipulator System |
| S | Spiral (for Galaxies) |
| WIYN | Wisconsin/Indiana/Yale/NOAO Telescope |
| NPO | Scientific Production Organization |
| FAST | Fast Auroral SnapshoT Explorer |
| EURECA | European Retrievable Carrier |
| RVSN | Raketniye Voiska Stratigcheskovo Naznacheniya |
| POEM | Polar Orbiting Earth Mission |
| FAP | Freedom Attached Payloads |
| RAE | Royal Aerospace Establishment |