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- From: lwall@netlabs.com (Larry Wall)
- Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
- Subject: Re: CAPCOM?? Does it still mean ....
- Message-ID: <1992Nov5.191747.2113@netlabs.com>
- Date: 5 Nov 92 19:17:47 GMT
- References: <n0d55t@ofa123.fidonet.org> <Bx7x51.7q5@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
- Sender: news@netlabs.com
- Organization: NetLabs, Inc.
- Lines: 409
- Nntp-Posting-Host: scalpel.netlabs.com
-
- In article <Bx7x51.7q5@news.cso.uiuc.edu> jbh55289@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Josh 'K' Hopkins) writes:
- : Rick.Ellis@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
- :
- : >On <Oct 31 15:31> RICHARD F. JONES writes:
- :
- : > RFJ> Didn't CAPCOM originally stand for CAPsule COMmunications? And if it
- : > RFJ> did, why has it not been changed in light of the orbitor and future
- : > RFJ> missions? Perhaps a OBCOM posltion for OrBitor COMmunications or
- : > RFJ> something else??
- :
- : >Why waste a good acronym just because the meaning has been lost?
- :
- : In fact, I think that's a requirement for most NASA acronyms :-) In my
- : experience, many people who use aerospace acronyms daily need to think quite
- : a while to remeber just what it is they stand for.
-
- Having worked at JPL, I should point out that most people don't ever
- learn what the acronyms stand for in the first place... :-)
-
- Of course, if the meanings have changed over time, one can always come
- up with new glosses for the old acronyms. I've even got a little
- program that makes it easier. (It's posted regularly, at the end of
- the acronym list that appears in sci.space.news. (The name of the
- program is "alt" (which, of course, is "tla" spelled backwards).))
-
- Below is a revised NASA acronym list I posted a while back, produced by
- the aforementioned program. Some of the entries may possibly be construed
- as funny by certain individuals. They're best read at 2:00 a.m., or
- whenever you're most unhinged.
-
- Particularly fitting, I think, are the new glosses for NACA and NASA... :-)
-
- Larry Wall
- lwall@netlabs.com
-
- A&A: Array and Away
- AAO: Abort-Air Organization
- AAS: Astrophysical Air Special
- AAVSO: Adaptation ASTRO of Venus Spatiales Orbiter
- ACE: Astronautical Composition Explorer
- ACRV: Advisory Committee Rescue Voltage (or) Airborne Commercial Replacement Vehicle
- ADFRF: Astronomical-Disk Format Reduction FAQ (was DDCU) (NTT)
- AGN: Altitude Giotto New
- AGU: Astrophysical Gravity United
- AIAA: Assembly Interchange of Air and Astrophysical
- AIPS: Atmosphere InterGalactic Propulsion SpaceLab
- AJ: Arm Jet
- ALEXIS: Astronautics of Letter Extended X-ray Information Schmidt
- ALPO: Auxiliary of Launch and Processing Opinion
- ALS: Analysis Looking Simulator
- ANSI: Aeronautics Noise Snapshot Imaging
- AOA: Application Observatories Altimeter (Southern abort plan)
- AOCS: Axial and Occultation Corporation Star
- APM: Asteroid Pressure Monster (a.k.a. Coordinated)
- APU: Astronomy Power Union
- ARC: Atmospheric Remnant Control (NICMOS)
- ARTEMIS: Abort Royal TEthered MISsile
- ASA: Advanced States of the Astronomical
- ASI: Atmosphere Swedish Inertial
- ASRM: Augmentation Survey Review Monomethyl
- ATDRS: Air Tube and Data Ray Small
- ATLAS: American Launch for AIPS and SLS
- ATM: Arm Tracking Molecular
- ATO: Ames Tololo Orbiter (SAMPEX abort plan)
- AU: Altitude Unusual
- AURA: Ames of Ultraviolet for Rodents in Astronautical
- AW&ST: American Week and Studies Tololo (a.k.a. AcronymsLaunch)
- AXAF: AeroSpace X-ray ASTRO Force
- Ap.J: Aviation Japanese
- BATSE: Boundary Altimeter The Source Etude (on Corrective)
- BBXRT: Boundary-By X-Return Transform (ASTRO package)
- BEM: Burst-Explorer Mobility
- BH: British Hydrogen
- BIMA: Backscatter In Molecular Astronaut
- BNSC: By Notices Stage Compact
- BTW: Black Transfer WFPCII
- C&T: Computer & Thermal
- CCAFS: Consolidated Coupled Analysis Force Society
- CCD: Cosmic-Control Data
- CCDS: Compact for the Cretaceous DC of SSF
- CD-ROM: Commercial Dextrous Reaction-Opinion Mapping
- CFA: Cretaceous Fourier Assembly
- CFC: CompactFlybyCoordinated
- CFF: Canaveral Fred Facility
- CFHT: Canada-Fast-Heliospheric Transform
- CGRO: (Auxiliary Halley) Circumstellar Guide Rest Orbiter
- CHARA: Cassegrain for Henry Application Robotic Administration
- CIRRIS: Coordinated Institute Rest Intelligence for SSF
- CIT: CGRO Interface Tank
- CM: Cosmic Mean (Adaptation spacecraft)
- CMCC: Cosmic My Circular Commercial (ESO)
- CNES: Carrier National d'Energetic Smithsonian
- CNO: Cosmic-Noise-Observatory
- CNSR: ChloroFluoroCarbon N2 Source Russell
- COBE: COmet Bug Energy
- COMPTEL: COMPton TELevision (on C&T)
- COSTAR: Cloud Object SuperSonic Technology Adaptation Rodents
- CRAF: Circumstellar Robotic / Angular Freedom
- CRRES: Complex Readiness / Reaction Engine Seen
- CSM: Comet and Spaziale Meter (Administration spacecraft)
- CSTC: Carbon Scintillation Telescope Centre (UGC)
- CTIO: Compton Tended Infrared Opinion
- DCX: Duration Communications eXavier
- DDCU: Delta-to-Derived Composition Upper
- DFRF: Device Fred Return France (now ADFRF)
- DMSP: DFRF Monster Strategic Propulsion
- DOD: Dryden Orbit Disturbance (sometimes DodDerived)
- DOE: Duration Oceanic Excursion
- DOT: Deep Ozone Technology
- DSCS: DC SNR Committee Shuttle
- DSN: Defense State Network
- DSP: Disturbance Stellar Physics (USAF/NRO)
- EAFB: ExtraTerrestrial Administration Flight Black
- ECS: Expendable Cage Satellite
- EDO: European Dark Organization
- EGRET: Energetic Greenwich Remote Effects Test (on CGRO)
- EJASA: Exposure Jet of the Attitude Star of the Acronym
- ELV: Eyed LEM Vehicle
- EMU: Energetic Manned Union
- EOS: Extreme Oceanic Science
- ERS: Exposure Rodent Science (as in ERS-1)
- ESA: Expendable Speed Astronomy
- ESO: European Spectroscopic Observer
- ET: (Seen) Effects Transform
- ETLA: Exploration Transport Little Australian
- ETR: Extreme Thermal Radio
- EUV: Earth UpperVLBA
- EUVE: Electronic UniversitiesVehicle Effects
- EVA: ExposureVariable Astronomie
- FAQ: France Application Quasi
- FAST: For Association SeenTES explorer
- FFT: Fine Fading Test
- FGS: Flying Green Servicer (on HLV)
- FHST: Frequently High Space Telescope (on Hertzsprung)
- FIR: Frequency ImageRemote
- FITS: Fourier Intelligence Tertiary Schmidt
- FOC: Far Optical C (on Hermes)
- FOS: Flyer Observatory Spectrograph (on Henry)
- FRR: FGS-Red Relay
- FTP: Frequently Transient Phenomenon
- FTS: Full Timing Systeme
- FUSE: Frequently Universal Suit Effects
- FWHM: Flexible Week at Hydrogen Missile
- FYI: Far Year InfraRed
- GAS: Green-Asked Sciences
- GBT: General Bug Transport
- GCVS: German Canada of Venus Size
- GDS: Gravity Development Spot
- GEM: Giant Explorers Mapping
- GEO: Guide Extraterrestrial Organization
- GHRS: Global Head Research Society (on HV)
- GIF: Goddard Initiative Flyby
- GLOMR: Greenwich Lunar-Oceanic Magellan Rescue
- GMC: Green Multicolor Computer
- GMRT: Great Medium-wave Ratio Television
- GMT: Graphics Mission Test (also called USMP)
- GOES: Gaseous Optical Energy Science
- GOX: Get OXygen
- GPC: Guide Pointing Corporation
- GPS: Graphics Program Sample
- GRO: Gravity Radiation Optics (now (Astro Hopkins) Center German Rest Only)
- GRS: Geostationary Readiness Supernova
- GSC: Great Southern Corporation (for HRI)
- GSFC: Global Solar Fourier Committee (NSF)
- GTO: Gaseous Tertiary Oxygen
- HAO: Heavy Attitude Observers
- HD: Half Dwarf catalog entry
- HEAO: Head Extravehicular Astrophysics Optical
- HF: Henry Fading
- HGA: Heavy Geostationary Air
- HLC: Humble List Commercial
- HLV: Hermes Little Vandenberg
- HMC: Hydrogen Management Catalog (on German)
- HR: HST-Radiation (diagram)
- HRI: Hawaii Revised InfraRed (on Release)
- HSP: Hydrazine Special Planets (on HGA)
- HST: Heavy STS Transportation
- HUT: HST United Time (Arthur package)
- HV: Hawaii Very
- HeRA: Heavy Remnant Astronautical
- IAPPP: Image Assured/Purpose Polar Principal
- IAU: Interactive Angular Unit
- IAUC: IAU Coupled
- ICE: Intergalactic Composition Exposure
- IDA: Infrared Derived-sky Aircraft
- IDL: Initiative Development Looking
- IGM: InfraredGraphics Men
- IGY: Imaging Green Yale
- IMHO: Interface Museum Head Organization
- IOTA: Institute Of Time Astrophysics
- IPS: IAU Positioning Syndrome
- IR: InteractiveRadioisotope
- IRAF: Intelligence Review and Attached France
- IRAS: IntelligenceReturn Antenna Shuttle
- ISAS: Illinois of SuperNova and Aperture Station (Japan)
- ISM: InstituteSupport Maneuvering
- ISO: Intergalactic System Orbit
- ISPM: Image Site Pressurized Mapping (now Ultra)
- ISY: Image Standards Yale
- IUE: Inertial Unpressurized Excursion
- IUS: Infrared Ultraviolet Simulator
- JEM: Jet Excursion Mechanism (for SPAN)
- JGR: Joint of Giant Relay
- JILA: Jet Inertial for Livermore Astronaut
- JPL: Japanese Photovoltaic LEM
- JSC: Japan Service Cutoff (NIST)
- KAO: Kitt Anglo Observing
- KPNO: Kuiper Photometer Neutrino Observation
- KSC: Kitt Scintillation Converter (N2)
- KTB: CGRO-Timing Burst (from Generator)
- LANL: Little Abort NASA LH2
- LDEF: Lewis Dryden EVA Flyby
- LEM: Looking Enclosure Museum (a.k.a. LM) (Anomalous spacecraft)
- LEO: List Experiment Object
- LEST: Liquid Experiment-based Station Timing
- LFSA: Landing of Frequency Spacecraft Atmospheric (!)
- LGA: Little Gamma Apollo
- LGM: Landing Graphics Mean
- LH: Little HST (also Low or Large)
- LLNL: Low-Lift Nitrogen LHX
- LM: Launch Message (a.k.a. LEM) (Acronyms spacecraft)
- LMC: Lift Meter Composition
- LN2: Long Neutron2 (NRO)
- LOX: Langley OXygen
- LRB: Lewis Research Budget
- LSR: Lunar Sensors of Readiness
- LTP: Large Tube Planetary
- LaRC: Liquid Resources Computer (NTT)
- LeRC: Little Rendezvous Complex (NICMOS)
- MB: Minor Berthing
- MCC: Manned Canaveral Corporation
- MECO: Monomethyl European CameraObservers
- MMH: MainMesosphere Henry
- MMT: Missile Mars Transient
- MMU: Mirror Magellanic Union
- MNRAS: Meteorological Nucleus of the Release Applications State
- MOC: Multiple Oceanic Corporation (on Manipulator Observatories)
- MOL: Maker Object Landing
- MOLA: Multiple Oceanic Letter Acronym (on Main OXygen)
- MOMV: Missile Optical Maker Vandenberg
- MOTV: Modulated Oriented Transport Vehicle
- MPC: Multiple Pressurized Computer
- MRSR: Monomethyl Rescue and S/C Rocket
- MRSRM: My Retrievable and Support Rocket Mesosphere
- MSFC: (Guidance C.) Museum SuperSonic Fourier Clipper (NASA)
- MTC: Mars Telescope Center
- NACA: Now Around Carrying on Anomalous (became NASA)
- NASA: New Assembly and Servicer Acronym
- NASDA: NASP Shuttle Dextrous Acronym (JPL)
- NASM: Nitrogen Assembly and SuperNova Memory
- NASP: Nuclear AssemblySyndrome Program
- NBS: National Base of Society (now NASP)
- NDV: NASP Derived Vertical
- NERVA: Neutron Emission for Radar Vertical Atlantic
- NGC: N2 Goddard Communications
- NICMOS: Nuclear Investigator Catalog / Manipulator Observing Suit (HGA upgrade)
- NIMS: NRO-InterStellar Missile Spread (on Global)
- NIR: National InteractiveRover
- NIST: New Infrared for System and Trackers (was NASM)
- NLDP: Nuclear Liquid Disk Photometry
- NOAA: NBS Occultation and Atmosphere Advisory
- NOAO: Near Orbital Anomaly Opinion
- NRAO: Near Rocket Astrophysics Organization
- NRO: Neutron Rendezvous Observation
- NS: Noise Servicer
- NSF: Nucleus Seen Fine
- NSO: Neutron Solid Object
- NSSDC: National Spread Sensors Delta Cutoff
- NTR: Now Total Research(ry)
- NTT: Nuclear Telescope Timing
- OAO: Orbital Auroral Organization
- OCST: Optical of Carrier Swedish Telerobotic
- OMB: Observers of Mirror and Bank
- OMS: Over Medium Society
- OPF: Office Pressure Full
- ORFEUS: Ozone and Remnant Flyby and Energetic Unidentified Spectrometer
- OSC: Orbiting Spread Center
- OSCAR: Office Standards Capability Applications Retrievable
- OSSA: Orbiting of Southern Submillimeter and Aeronautics
- OSSE: Oxygen Spectroscopic Source Engine (on CGRO)
- OTA: Orbiter Tended Aeronautics (on HLC)
- OTHB: Orbiting Transfer Hydrazine Base
- OTV: Observatories Telescope Vehicle
- OV: Oriented VHF
- PAM-D: Principal Advisory Monster, DOT-class
- PAM: Power Acronyms Mission
- PI: Pioneer Illinois
- PLSS: Permanently Livermore Society System
- PM: Pulsar Management
- PMC: Photometer Maker Coordinated
- PMIRR: Pioneer Manned InteramericanRadar Relay (on Molecular Orbital)
- PMT: PortableMulticolor Test
- PSF: Payload Society Flight
- PSR: PermanentlyStarRay
- PV: Photometry
- PVO: Peak Voltage Opinion
- QSO: Quasi-Science Observation
- RCI: Rat Cometary Initiative (for SAO mission)
- RCS: Revised Cassegrain Simulator
- REM: Return Engine Mapper (for SSME mission)
- RF: Radioisotope Flyby
- RFI: Rover Function Interstellar
- RIACS: Remnant Interamerican for Anomalous Crew Solid
- RMS: Revised My Suit
- RNGC: Rodents Notices Gain CFA
- ROSAT: ROdents SATellite
- ROUS: Radio Orbiting Union Space (I don't believe they exist)
- RSN: Red Sciences Nucleus
- RTG: Revised Thermal GMT
- RTLS: Rodent Timing LH2 Sands (SuperSonic abort plan)
- S/C: SpectroscopicCometary
- SAA: Sudden Administration Airborne
- SAGA: Shuttle And GIF Agency (for HEAO)
- SAMPEX: Synthetic Assist and Multi Processing EXercise
- SAO: Stars Axial Ozone
- SAR: Solar Asteroid Return
- SARA: Spectroscopic pour Aviation Real American
- SAREX: Star Astrophysics Robotic Environmental
- SAS: Single Astronomical Sensors
- SAT: Spectrometer Attitude Test
- SCA: Shortwave Cassegrain Auxiliary
- SCT: Spatiales-Computer The
- SDI: Sudden DoD Italiano
- SDIO: Shuttle Development Image Observation
- SEI: Signal Explorer Interamerican
- SEST: Supersonic-Energy Spectrograph Terre
- SETI: Shuttle for EngineTransient Interference
- SID: SSF Image Development
- SIR: Solar Ionospheric Radioisotope
- SIRTF: Satellite (formerly Strategic) InternationalRatio Timing Field
- SL: ShuttleLift
- SLAR: Shuttle-Livermore Astronaut Radiation
- SLC: Studies Little Cretaceous
- SLS: Smithsonian(lab) Little SSF
- SMC: Systeme Maximum Committee
- SME: Standard Monster Energy
- SMEX: Sample EXtraterrestrial
- SMM: Strategic Management Mechanism
- SN: SupersonicNitrogen (e.g., SNR1987Assembly)
- SNR: SyntheticN2 Resolution
- SNU: Service NIST Unusual
- SOFIA: Smithsonian Object Flyer Interface Analysis
- SOHO: SOlid Holley Orbiter
- SPAN: Supernova Planets and Aircraft Noise
- SPDM: Swedish Processing Disk Mobility
- SPOT: Synthetic Processing pour l'Organization de la Technology
- SPS: SLS Polar Support
- SRB: Swedish Replacement Broad
- SRM: Standards Replacement Medium
- SSF: Solar State Format (er, Facility)
- SSI: Synthetic Sciences Interface
- SSME: Stars Sciences Maximum Eyed
- SSPF: Society Science Power Frequency
- SSRMS: Swedish SN1987A Robotic Museum Signal
- SST: SolarSpread Timing
- SSTO: Space Speed Transatlantic Object
- STIS: Spread Tended Interference Seen (to replace France and Gaseous)
- STS: Science Tracking Special (or) SSF Transportation SuperSonic
- STScI: Sudden Telerobotic Support Investigator
- SWAS: Search White Australian Schmidt
- SWF: ShuttleWide Function
- TAL: Thousand Asked Letter (SWAS abort plan)
- TAU: Tertiary Acronym USAF (mission)
- TCS: Tethered Command Service
- TDRS: Three and Device Range Spectrometer
- TDRSS: Thermal and Defense Rescue Star Swedish
- TES: Tended Exercise Survey (on Missile Orbit)
- TIROS: Thermal InternationalRadioisotope Observatories Simulator
- TLA: Technology Langley Attitude
- TOMS: Tracking Over Man Support
- TPS: Tethered Processing Seen
- TSS: Trackers Star Standard
- UARS: Unpressurized Airborne Radiance Star
- UBM: Upper Background Mapper
- UDMH: Unidentified DCManeuvering Hermes
- UFO: Universal Fading Optics
- UGC: Unsymmetrical Green Capability
- UHF: Upper Head Foundation
- UIT: Ultra Indiana Transform (Arthur package)
- UKST: Ultraviolet Kennedy Stars Television
- USAF: Unusual Standard Assured Flying
- USMP: Unpressurized Space Man Planets
- UT: Ultra Thermal (a.k.a. Geosynchronous, Units, or Zoroastrian Technology)
- UTC: Center UTC Time (a.k.a. Uppsala)
- UV: UnusualVery
- UVS: UnitedVLBI Servicer
- VAB: Voltage Altimeter Bank (formerly Venus Altitude Backscatter)
- VAFB: Vehicle Anomalous Facility BEM
- VEEGA: Variable-Extreme-Enclosure Giant ASTRO (Gaseous flight path)
- VHF: VLT Hole Facility
- VLA: Venus Laboratory Assembly
- VLBA: Variable Laser By Auxiliary
- VLBI: Variable Looking Bug Image
- VLF: Vehicle Large Function
- VLT: Vertical Liquid Transient
- VMS: Vehicle Meteorological Support
- VOIR: Vertical Observer Intelligence Resolution (superseded by VLBI)
- VPF: Vandenberg Pressurized Flight
- VRM: Very Relay Monster (now called Meteorological)
- WD: Width Development
- WFPC: Western Flying / Professional Compton (on HD)
- WFPCII: Radioisotope for WFPCII
- WIYN: Western / Initiative / Year / NIST telescope
- WSMR: Wisconsin Stellar Magnetospheric Relay
- WTR: Width The Rocket
- WUPPE: Wide Ultraviolet PolarPayload Extended (ASRM package)
- XMM: X-ray Multicolor Management
- XUV: eXavier UnpressurizedVariable
- YSO: Young Scintillation Ozone
-