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)