Glossary

Space flight involves a lot of technical terms and acronyms. This glossary gives an expansion or brief description of many of those most likely to occur.

AEA
Abort electronics assembly
AGS
Abort guidance system
ALSCC
Apollo lunar surface closeup camera
ALSD
Apollo lunar surface drill
ALSEP
Apollo lunar surface experiments package
AOS
Acquisition of signal
AOT
Alinement optical telescope
APS
Auxiliary propulsion system (S-IVB)/Ascent propulsion system (LM)
ARIA
Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft
ARS
Atmosphere revitalization system
BECO
Booster Engine Cut-Off
BEF
Blunt end forward
BMAG
Body Mounted Attitude Gyroscope
CAL
Calibration angle
CCGE
Cold cathode gage experiment
CCIG
Cold cathode ion gage
CDH
Constant delta altitude (height)
CDU
Control data unit
CM
Command module
CMC
Command module computer
COAS
Crew optical alinement sight
COI
Contingency Orbit Injection
CP
Control point
CPCB
Crew Procedures Control Board
CPLEE
Charged particle lunar environment experiment
CSC
Contingency sample collection
CSI
Coelliptic sequence initiation
CSM
Command and service module
CWEA
Caution and warning electronics assembly
DAC
Data acquisition camera
DAP
Digital autopilot
DEDA
Data entry and display assembly
DET
Digital event timer
DOI
Descent orbit insertion
DPS
Descent propulsion system
DSE
Data storage equipment
DSEA
Data storage equipment assembly
DSKY
Display and keyboard
DTO
Detailed test objective
Drogue
Drogue parachute
A parachute fired before the main parachute, to gain control of the spacecraft after re-entry, providing stability and slowing descent.
ECS
Environmental control system
EDS
Emergency detection system
The emergency detection system monitored the flight vehicle during the early stages of the launch. It could trigger an automatic abort in situations where the flight crew could not be expected to react quickly enough to ensure a successful escape from the booster.
EECOM
Electrical, Environmental and Consumables Manager
EI
Entry interface
EMI
Extravehicular mobility unit
EMS
Entry monitor system
EPS
Electrical power system
ETB
Equipment transfer bag
EVA
Extravehicular activity
EVT
Extravehicular transfer
FAO
Flight Activities Officer
FDAI
Flight director attitude indicator
FIDO
Flight Dynamics Officer
FM
Frequency Modulation
G&N
Guidance and Navigation
GDC
Gyro display coupler
GET
Ground elapsed time
GETI
Ground elapsed time of ignition
GNC
Guidance, Navigation, and Controls System Engineer
GUIDO
Guidance Officer
HA
Apogee altitude
HFE
Heat flow experiment
HGA
High gain antenna
HP
Perigee altitude
HTC
Handtool carrier
ICDU
Inertial Coupling Data Unit
IMU
Inertial measurement unit
INCO
Integrated Communications Officer
IP
Initial point
ISA
Interim stowage assembly
IU
Instrument unit
IVT
Intravehicular transfer
LAD
Lunar atmosphere detector
LCG
Liquid cooled garment
LEB
Lower equipment bay
LEC
Lunar equipment conveyor
LGC
Lunar module guidance computer
LM
Lunar module
LOI
Lunar orbit insertion
LOPC
Lunar orbit plane change
LOS
Loss of signal (or line or sight)
LPD
Landing point designator
LTC
Lunar topographic camera
M&O
Maintenance and Operations
MAX Q
Maximum dynamic pressure
The point at which aerodynamic stress on a spacecraft in atmospheric flight is maximized.
MCC
Mission Control Center/midcourse correction
MESA
Modular equipment stowage assembly
MILA
Meritt Island Launch Area tracking station
MSFN
Manned Space Flight Network
MTVC
Manual thrust vector control
NOUN 01
Specify machine address (fractional)
NOUN 07
Set/reset values
NOUN 09
Last three program alarms
NOUN 14
Desired Delta-V
NOUN 17
Astronaut total attitude
NOUN 18
Auto maneuvre ball angles
NOUN 20
ICDUs
NOUN 21
PIPA (accelerometer) values
NOUN 22
New ICDU angles
NOUN 23
Number of passes, time to burn, burn delta-V.
NOUN 25
Perform checklist action
NOUN 29
Launch azimuth
NOUN 33
Time of ignition
NOUN 34
Time of next program event
NOUN 42
Apogee, perigee and DELTA-V
NOUN 44
Height (nautical miles)
NOUN 46
Autopilot configuration
NOUN 47
Vehicle weights
NOUN 48
Gimbal pitch and roll trim
NOUN 51
Time to event (IG or ECO)
NOUN 60
Forward velocity (LM)
NOUN 61
Impact latitude/longitude
NOUN 62
Velocity information during launch and landing
NOUN 63
Absolute velocity (LM)
NOUN 65
Sampled AGC time
NOUN 67
Range to target (CSM)
NOUN 70
AOT detent and star code
NOUN 72
Rendezvous radar shaft and trunnion (LM)
NOUN 81
Delta V: Change in velocity (fps)
NOUN 87
Mark data shaft and trunnion
NOUN 88
Half-unit sun or planet vector
NOUN 89
Landmark lattitude and longitude
NOUN 91
OCDU shaft and trunnion (CSM)
NOUN 93
Delta gyro angles
NOUN 99
W-matrix position
OPS
Oxygen purge system
ORDEAL
Orbital rate display earth and lunar
P00
Idle
P01
Pre-launch or service: initialization
P02
Pre-launch or service: gyro compassing
P11
Launch control
P21
Ground track determination
P22
Optics update
P23
Cislunar navigation
P27
CMC update
P30
External Delta-V
P33
Corrective combination maneuvre (NCC)
P37
Rendezvous final phase
P40
SPS thrusting
P41
RCS thrusting
P47
Thrust monitor
P51
Read guidance platform orientation
P52
Guidance platform realignment
P53
Back-up IMU orientation determination
P61
Entry preparation
P62
Entry CM/SM separation and pre-entry maneuvre
P63
Entry intitialization
P65
Entry up control
PAD
Voice update
PC
Pericynthian
PCM
Pulse Code Modulation
PDI
Powered descent initiation
PGA
Pressure garment assembly
PGNCS
Primary guidance, navigation, and control system (CM)
PGNS
Primary guidance and navigation system (LM)
PIPA
Pulsed integrating pendulous accelerometer
PLSS
Portable life support system
PRD
Personal radiation dosimeter
PSE
Passive seismic experiment
PTC
Passive thermal control
PU
Propellant Utilization
RCS
Reaction control system
RCU
Remote control unit
REFSMMAT
Reference to stable member matrix
RLS
Radius of landing site
RTC
Real-Time Command
RTG
Radioisotope thermoelectric generator
S-IVB
Saturn V Third Stage
SCE
Signal conditioning equipment
SCS
Stabilization control system
SECO
Sustainer Engine Cut-Off
SECS
Sequential events control system
SEF
Sharp end forward
SEP
Separation
SIDE
Suprathermal ion detector experiment
SLA
SM/LM adapter
SM
Service module
SNAP
Systems for nuclear auxiliary power
SPS
Service propulsion system
SRC
Sample return container
SWC
Solar wind composition
SWE
Solar wind experiment
TCA
Time of Closest Approach
TEC
Transearth coast
TEI
Transearth injection
TELMU
Telemetry, Electrical, EVA Mobility Unit Officer (LM's EECOM)
TLC
Translunar coast
TLI
Translunar injection
TLM
Telemetry
TPF
Terminal phase final
TPI
Terminal phase initiation
TSB
Temporary stowage bag
TTCA
Thrust/Translation Controller Assembly
TVC
Thrust vector control
Tig
Time of ignition
UHT
Universal handtool
VERB 01
Display contents of erasable memory location
VERB 03
Display register 1
VERB 04
Display register 1 and 2
VERB 05
Display register 1, 2 and 3
VERB 06
Display data in decimal
VERB 07
Display double-precision data
VERB 11
Monitor register 1
VERB 12
Monitor register 2
VERB 13
Monitor register 3
VERB 14
Monitor register 1 and 2
VERB 15
Monitor register 1, 2 and 3
VERB 16
Monitor data in decimal
VERB 17
Monitor double-precision data
VERB 21
Load register 1
VERB 22
Load register 2
VERB 23
Load register 3
VERB 24
Load register 1 and 2
VERB 25
Load register 1, 2 and 3
VERB 31
Bank display
VERB 33
Proceed without data
VERB 34
Terminate
VERB 36
Fresh start
VERB 37
Change major mode to
VERB 40
Zero CDU registers
VERB 41
Coarse align IMU
VERB 42
Fine align IMU
VERB 43
Lock IMU
VERB 44
Terminate Rendezvous Radar Continuous Designate
VERB 45
Set IMU ENTRY
VERB 46
Establish G&C Control
VERB 47
Move LM state vector into CM state vector
VERB 48
Request DAP data load
VERB 49
Request Crew Defined Maneuver routine
VERB 51
Please mark
VERB 52
Mark reject
VERB 53
Free
VERB 54
Pulse torque gyros
VERB 55
Increment LGC time (decimal)
VERB 56
Perform bank sum
VERB 62
Display total attitude errors with respect to new ICDU angles
VERB 64
Request S-Band Antenna Routine
VERB 65
Disable U and V jet firings during DPS burns
VERB 66
Move state vector to other vehicle
VERB 67
Calculate maximum declination and time of arrival
VERB 69
Cause restart
VERB 73
Return to Earth aim point update
VERB 74
Initialize erasable dump via downlink
VERB 75
Manual lift-off
VERB 76
Minimum Impulse Command mode
VERB 77
Rate Command and Attitude Hold mode
VERB 79
Request Lunar Landmark Selection Routine (CSM)
VERB 82
Request orbital parameter display
VERB 83
Request rendezvous parameter display
VERB 89
Request rendezvous final attitude
VERB 96
Terminate integration and go to P00
ΔV
Delta V (change in velocity)