An acronym is a word formed from the initial letter
or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a
compound term. To add an acronym to our list send an email
to Carey Noll (Carey.Noll@nasa.gov).
Acronym |
Definition |
A |
AAC |
Associate Analysis Center |
AC |
Analysis Center |
AC |
Astronomical Council (Russia) |
ACSnet |
Australian Computer Science Network |
ACT |
Australian Capital Territory |
ADEOS |
Advanced Earth Observing Satellite |
AFB |
Air Force Base |
AFGL |
Air Force Geophysics Laboratory |
AFSPC |
Air Force Space Command (USA) |
AGU |
American Geophysical Union |
AIUB |
Astronomical Institute of Berne (Berne, Switzerland) |
ALO |
Astronomical Latitude Observatory (Poland) |
AMSAT |
Amateur Satellite |
APD |
Avalanche Photo Diode |
APRGP |
Asia-Pacific Regional Geodetic Project |
APSG |
Asia-Pacific Space Geodynamics Project |
ARC |
Ames Research Center (Moffett Field, CA) |
ARI |
Academic Research Infrastructure |
ARPAnet |
Advanced Research Projects Agency Network |
ASAR |
Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar |
ASCII |
American Standard Code for Information Interchange |
ASI |
Italian Space Agency (Italy) |
ASL |
Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory |
ATEx |
Advanced Tether Experiment |
ATSC |
AlliedSignal Technical Services Corporation (Lanham, MD) |
AUSLAS |
Graz, Austria Laser Station |
AUSLIG |
Australian Surveying and Land Information Group |
AWG |
Analysis Working Group |
AZ |
Azimuth |
AZ-EL |
Azimuth-Elevation |
B |
BAE |
British Aerospace (Australia) |
BBS |
Bulletin Board System |
BE-C |
Beacon Explorer C |
BFEC |
Bendix Field Engineering Corporation (USA) |
BIH |
Bureau International de l'Heure |
BIPM |
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (France) |
BITnet |
Because It's Time Network |
BKG |
Bundesamt fr Kartographie und Geodsie (Germany) |
BM |
Bench Mark |
C |
CALTECH |
California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA) |
CB |
Central Bureau |
CCD |
Charged Coupled Device |
CDDIS |
Crustal Dynamics Data Information System |
CDP |
Crustal Dynamics Project |
CEE |
Centro de Estudios Espaciales (Chile) |
CERGA |
Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Geodynamiques et Astronomiques (France) |
CERN |
Center for European Laboratory for Particle Physics (Switzerland) |
CF |
Constant Fraction |
CfA |
Center for Astrophysics (USA) |
CGS |
Centro de Geodesia Spaziale (Italy) |
CHAMP |
CHAllenging Mini-Satellite Payload |
ChO |
Changchun Observatory/National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
CIO |
Conventional International Origin |
CIS |
Commonwealth of Independent States |
CIS |
Conventional Inertial System |
CM |
Center of Mass |
CMONOC |
Crustal Movement Observation Network of China |
CNES |
Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (France) |
CODE |
Center for Orbit Determination in Europe |
COI |
Co-Investigator |
COM |
Center Of Mass |
CONAE |
Comisin Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (Argentina) |
CONUS |
Continental United States |
COSPAR |
Committee on Space Research |
CPU |
Central Processing Unit |
CRL |
Communications Research Laboratory (Japan) |
CSIR |
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa) |
C-SPAD |
Compensated Single Photoelectron Avalanche Detector |
CSR |
Center for Space Research (University of Texas, Austin, TX) |
CSTG |
International Coordination of Space Techniques for Geodesy and Geodynamics |
CSnet |
Computer Science Network |
CTLRS |
Chinese Transportable Laser Ranging System |
CTU FNSPE |
Czech Technical University Faculty of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering |
D |
D-PAF |
Germany Processing and Analysis Facility |
DARPA |
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (USA) |
DBMS |
Data Base Management System |
DDN |
Defense Data Network |
DDNA |
Divided Difference Noise Analysis |
DEC |
Digital Equipment Corporation |
DECnet |
DEC networking product |
DEOS |
Delft Institute for Earth-Oriented Space Research (The Netherlands) |
DET |
Detachment |
DFPWG |
Data Formats and Procedures Working Group |
DGFI |
Deutsches Geodtisches ForschungsInstitut (Germany) |
DGPS |
Differential GPS |
DIF |
DOMES Information Form |
DIS |
Data Information System |
DMA |
Defence Mapping Agency (USA) |
DMAHTC |
Defence Mapping Agency Hydrographic and Topographic Center (Japan) |
DMS |
Data Measurement System |
DOD |
Department of Defense (USA) |
DOMES |
Directory Of MERIT Sites |
DOMEX |
DOMEs EXtended |
DORIS |
Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite |
DOSE |
Dynamics of the Solid Earth |
D-PAF |
Germany Processing and Analysis Facility |
DREN |
Defense Research and Engineering Network |
DUT |
Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands) |
DUT/OSG |
Delft University of Technology/Observatory for Space Geodesy (The Netherlands) |
E |
EARN |
European Academic Research Network |
ED |
European Datum |
EDC |
EUROLAS Data Center (Munich, Germany) |
EDM |
Electronic Distance Measuring |
EGS |
European Geophysical Society |
ELV |
Expendable Launch Vehicle |
ENVISAT |
ENVIronmental SATellite |
EOC |
Earth Observation Center (NASDA) |
EOP |
Earth Orientation Parameter |
EOS |
Earth Observing System |
EOS |
European Optical Society |
EOS |
Electro Optical Systems (Australia) |
ERA |
Ephemeris Research in Astronomy (Russia) |
ERI |
Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo (Japan) |
ERS |
Earth Resources Satellite |
ERS-1 |
Earth Resources Satellite 1 |
ERS-2 |
Earth Resources Satellite 2 |
ESA |
European Space Agency (Germany) |
ESOC |
European Space Operations Center (Germany) |
ESRIN |
European Space Research Institute |
ETS |
Engineering Test Satellite |
EUROLAS |
European Laser Consortium |
Euro-SPAN |
European Space Physics Analysis Network |
F |
FAA |
Federal Aviation Administration (USA) |
FAQ |
Frequently Asked Questions |
FAS |
Federation of American Scientists |
FAX |
Facsimile System |
FDR |
Foundation for Research Development (South Africa) |
FESG |
Forschungseinrichting Satellitengeodsie (Research Facility for Space Geodesy,
Germany) |
FFDP |
Far Field Diffraction Pattern |
FFI |
Forsvarets ForskningsInstitutt (Norway) |
FGCC |
Federal Geodetic Control Committee |
FGI |
Finnish Geodetic Institute |
FGNP |
Field Generated Normal Points |
FINLAS |
Metsahovi, Finland Laser Station |
FLINN |
Fiducial Laboratories for an International Natural Science Network |
FR |
Full-Rate |
FRD |
Foundation for Research and Development (South Africa) |
FTLRS |
French Transportable Laser Ranging System |
FTP |
File Transfer Protocol |
G |
GAOUA |
Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine |
GB |
Gigabyte |
GB |
Governing Board |
GDR |
Geophysical Data Record |
GeoDAF |
Geodetical Data Archive Facility (Italy) |
GeodIS |
Geodetic Information System (Germany) |
GEOS |
Geodetic and Earth Orbiting Satellite |
GEOSAT |
Geodesy Satellite |
GFO |
GEOSAT Follow-On |
GFO-1 |
GEOSAT Follow-On 1 |
GFZ |
GeoForschungsZentrum (Potsdam, Germany) |
GGAO |
Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory (Greenbelt, MD) |
GGP |
Global Geodynamics Project (Gravity) |
GI |
Geological Institute (Russia) |
GIF |
Graphic Image Format (CompuServe) |
GIS |
Geographic Information System |
GLAS |
Geoscience Laser Altimeter System |
GLONASS |
Global Navigation Satellite System |
GLONASS |
Global'naya Navigatsionnay Sputnikovaya Sistema |
GLRS |
Geodynamics Laser Ranging System |
GM |
Gravity Model |
GMT |
Greenwich Mean Time |
GOES |
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite |
GP-B |
Gravity Probe B |
GPS |
Global Positioning System |
GRACE |
Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment |
GRGS |
Groupe de Recherches de Godsie Spatiale (France) |
GROSS |
Geodynamics, Rotation of the Earth, Orbit determination Searching Software (Russia) |
GRS |
Global Reference System |
GSC |
Geological Survey of Canada |
GSFC |
Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) |
GSI |
Geographical Survey Institute (Tsukuba, Japan) |
GSN |
Global Seismographic Network |
GSS |
Geodetic Survey Squadron |
H |
HAVAGO |
Horizontal and Vertical Adjustment of Geodetic Observations |
HDJ |
Hydrographic Department of Japan |
HEPnet |
High Energy Physics Network |
HMC |
Hydrogen Maser Clock |
HO |
Haystack Observatory (Haystack, MA) |
HOLLAS |
Haleakala Laser Station (Maui, HI) |
HOPLAS |
Mount Hopkins Laser Station (Mt. Hopkins, AZ) |
HRAO |
Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory |
HREF |
Hypertext Reference |
HTC |
Hydrographic and Topographic Center |
HTML |
Hypertext Markup Language |
HTSI |
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. (USA) |
HTTP |
Hypertext Transfer Protocol |
H/W |
Hardware |
I |
IAA/RAS |
Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences |
IAG |
International Association of Geodesy |
IAPG |
Institut fr Astronomische und Physikalische Geodsie (Germany) |
IAU |
International Astronomical Union |
ICESat |
Ice, Cloud, & land Elevation SATellite |
ICCG |
Interagency Coordinating Committee for G |
ICG |
Inter-Union Commission of Geodynamics |
ICRF |
International Celestial Reference Frame |
ICRS |
International Celestial Reference System |
IDA |
International Deployment of Accelerometers Network |
IERS |
International Earth Rotation Service |
IESAS |
Academia Sinica, Institute of Earth Sciences (Taiwan) |
IFAG |
Institut fur Angewandte Geodaesie (Germany) |
IGEX |
International Glonass EXperiment |
IGLOS |
International GLOnass Service |
IGN |
Institut Geographique National (France) |
IGS |
International GPS Service for Geodynamics |
IGSCB |
IGS Central Bureau |
ILRS |
International Laser Ranging Service |
IMVP |
Institute of Metrology for Time and Space (Russia) |
INASAN |
Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences |
INTA |
Instituto Nacional de Technica Aeroespacial (Spain) |
ION |
Institute of Navigation |
IPIE |
Institute for Precision Instrument Engineering (Russia) |
IR |
Infra-Red |
IRIS |
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (USA) |
IRS |
Indian Remote Sensing Satellite |
IRV |
Inter-Range Vector |
ISAS |
Institute for Space and Astronautic Science (Sagamihara, Japan) |
ISIR |
International Space Industry Report |
ISRO |
Institute for Space Research Observatory (Graz, Austria) |
ISRO |
Indian Space Research Organisation |
ISTRAC |
ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (India) |
ITRF |
International Terrestrial Reference Frame |
ITRS |
International Terrestrial Reference System |
ITSM |
Institute for Time and Space Metrology (Russia) |
ITSS |
Raytheon Information Technology and Scientific Services (USA) |
IUGG |
International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics |
IVS |
International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry |
J |
JAnet |
Joint Academic Network (United Kingdom) |
JAXA |
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |
JCET |
Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (USA) |
JEA |
Environmental Agency of Japan |
JGM |
Joint Gravity Model |
JGR |
Journal of Geophysical Research |
JHD |
Japanese Hydrographic Department |
JILA |
Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (USA) |
JPL |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) |
K |
KACST |
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) |
L |
LAGEOS |
LAser GEOdynamics Satellite |
LAN |
Local Area Network |
LASER |
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation |
LASSO |
Laser Synchronization from Stationary Orbit |
LEO |
Low Earth Orbit |
LIDAR |
Light Detection and Ranging |
LLR |
Lunar Laser Ranging |
LOD |
Length Of Day |
LRA |
Laser Retroreflector Array |
LRRA |
Lunar RetroReflector Array |
LRE |
Laser Ranging Equipment Satellite |
L+T |
Swiss Federal Office of Topography |
LURE |
LUnar Ranging Experiment |
M |
MAO |
Main Astronomical Observatory (Ukraine) |
MATLAS |
Matera, Italy Laser Station |
MCC |
Mission Control Center (Russia) |
MCEP |
Mean Celestial Ephemeris Pole |
MCP |
Micro Channel Plate |
MEDLAS |
Mediterranean Laser Campaign |
MERIT |
Monitoring of Earth Rotation and Intercomparison of Techniques |
MILnet |
Defense data network |
MIT |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) |
MJ |
Millijoule |
MLRO |
Matera Laser Ranging Observatory (Italy) |
MLRS |
McDonald Laser Ranging System |
MOA |
Mount Observer Automation |
MOBLAS |
MOBile LASer Ranging System |
MOM |
Mobile Optical Mount |
MSL |
Mean Sea Level |
MSSSO |
Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatory (Canberra, NSW, Australia) |
MSTI |
Miniature Seeker Technology Integration |
MTLRS |
Modular Transportable Laser Ranging System |
MTPE |
Mission to Planet Earth (USA) |
MWG |
Missions Working Group |
MWV |
MicroWave Radiometer |
N |
NAD |
North American Datum |
NAO |
National Astronomical Observatory (Tokyo, Japan) |
NASA |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
NASCOM |
NASA COMmunications Network |
NASDA |
National Space Development Agency (Japan) |
NAVNET |
Navy VLBI Network |
NAVSTAR |
Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging |
NBSM |
National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (PRC) |
NCL |
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (United Kingdom) |
NCMN |
National Crustal Motion Network |
NEOS |
National Earth Orientation Service |
NERC |
Natural Environment Research Council (United Kingdom) |
NEWG |
Networks and Engineering Working Group |
Nd YAG |
Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnet |
NGRS |
National Geodetic Reference System |
NGS |
National Geodetic Survey |
NGVD |
National Geodetic Vertical Datum |
NIES |
National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan) |
NIPRNET |
Non-Classified IP Router Network |
NOAA |
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
NORAD |
North American Aerospace Defense Command |
NOS |
National Ocean Survey |
NP |
Normal Point |
NRAO |
National Radio Astronomy Observatory |
NRIAG |
National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (Egypt) |
NRL |
Naval Research Laboratory (USA) |
NSF |
National Science Foundation (USA) |
NSFnet |
National Science Foundation Network |
NSI |
NASA Science Internet |
NSI-DECnet |
NASA Science Internet DECnet Protocol |
NSI-TCP/IP |
NASA Science Internet TCP/IP Protocol |
NSN |
NASA Science Network |
NSSDC |
National Space Science Data Center (GSFC) |
NWS |
National Weather Service (USA) |
O |
OAC |
Operational Analysis Center |
OCA |
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur |
OMC |
Observed Minus Computed |
ONP |
On-site Normal Point |
ORRLAS |
Orroral, Australia Laser Station |
ORT |
Optical Ranging Telescope |
OSC |
Orbital Sciences Corporation (USA) |
OSGB |
Ordinance Survey of Great Britain |
OSTA |
Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications |
P |
PAS |
Polish Academy of Sciences |
PC |
Personal Computer |
PCGIAP |
Permanent Committee for GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific |
PDF |
Portable Document Format |
PDF |
Probability Density Function |
PI |
Principal Investigator |
PL |
Phillips Laboratory (USA) |
PM |
Polar Motion |
PM/UT |
Polar Motion/Universal Time |
PMT |
Photo Multiplier Tube |
POD |
Precision Orbit Determination |
POLAC |
Paris Observatory Lunar Analysis Center (France) |
POLARIS |
POLar motion Analysis by Radio Interferometry |
PPME |
Pacific Plate Motion Experiment |
PRARE |
Precise Range and Range-rate Equipment |
PRC |
Peoples Republic of China |
PRN |
Pseudo Random Noise |
PSI |
Packetnet Systems Interface |
PSLR |
Portable Satellite Laser Ranging System (Latvia) |
PSN |
Piano Spazial Nazionale (Italy) |
R |
R&D |
Research and Development |
RA |
Radar Altimeter |
RAM |
Random Access Memory |
RAS |
Russian Academy of Sciences |
RESURS |
Earth Remote Sensing Satellite |
RFI |
Radio Frequency Interference |
RGO |
Royal Greenwich Observatory (Great Britain) |
RGOLAS |
RGO, Herstmonceux, Great Britain Laser System |
RIS |
Reflector in Space |
RISC |
Reduced Instruction-Set Computing |
RISDE |
Russian Institute of Space Device Engineering |
RITSS |
Raytheon Information Techology and Scientific Services (USA) |
RM |
Reference Monument |
RMS |
Root Mean Square |
RMT |
Reference MonumenT |
ROSAVIAKOSMOS |
Russian Aerospace Agency |
RRA |
RetroReflector Array |
RSA |
Russian Space Agency |
S |
SA |
Selective Availability |
SAAO |
South African Astronomical Observatory |
SAC |
Astronomical Station of Cagliari (Italy) |
SAFE |
San Andreas Fault Experiment |
SAFRD |
South African Foundation for Research Development |
SALRO |
Saudi Arabian Laser Ranging Observatory (Riyahd, Saudi Arabia) |
SAO |
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory |
SAO |
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (PRC) |
SAR |
Synthetic Aperture Radar |
SCEC |
Southern California Earthquate Center |
SDSC |
San Diego Supercomputer Center |
SENH |
Solid Earth and Natural Hazards |
SEWP |
Scientific and Engineering Workstation Procurement |
SGAPO |
Space Geodesy and Altimetry Projects Office |
SGF |
Space Geodesy Facility (United Kingdom) |
SGMS |
Space Geodetic Measurement Sites |
SGP |
Space Geodesy Project |
SHAO |
Shanghai Observatory (PRC) |
SHO |
Simosato Hydrographic Observatory (Japan) |
SHOLAS |
Simosato, Japan Laser Station |
SI |
International System of Units |
SINEX |
Software INdependent EXchange format |
SIO |
Scripps Institution of Oceanography (San Diego, CA) |
SLR |
Satellite Laser Ranging |
SNR |
Signal to Noise Ratio |
SOAP |
Single Operator Automation System |
SOD |
Site Occupation Designator |
SOPAC |
Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center |
SOR |
Starfire Optical Range (USA) |
SP |
Signal Processing |
SPAD |
Single Photon Avalanche Diode |
SPAN |
Space Physics Analysis Network |
SPE |
Single Photo Electron |
SPIE |
International Society for Optical Engineers |
SPNLAS |
San Fernando, Spain Laser Station |
SPRINTmail |
SPRINT Mail (formerly TELEMAIL) |
SPWG |
Signal Processing Working Group |
SRDC |
Shanghai Regional Data Center (China) |
SRI |
Space Research Institute (Russia) |
SRP |
System Reference Point |
SSC |
Set of Station Coordinates |
SSFPO |
Space Station Freedom Project Office |
SSL |
Space Science Laboratory (MSFC) |
SSV |
Set of Station Velocities |
STALAS |
Standard Laser Station |
STDN |
Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network |
SUNSAT |
Stellenbosch UNiversity SATellite |
SV |
Space Vehicle |
S/W |
Software |
T |
TAC |
Totally Accurate Clock |
TAI |
International Atomic Time |
TB |
TerraByte |
TBF |
Time Bias Function |
TCUP |
TLRS Upgrade Project |
TCP/IP |
Transmission Control Protocol/INTERnet Protocol |
TDRSS |
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System |
TELENET |
GTE public packet switching network |
TFO |
TOPEX/Poseidon Follow-ON |
THEnet |
Texas Higher Education Network |
TIGO |
Transportable Integrated Geodetic Observatory |
TIPS |
Tether Physics and Survivability Experiment |
TIRV |
Tuned Inter-Range Vector |
TIU |
Time Interval Unit |
TLRS |
Transportable Laser Ranging System |
TOPEX |
Ocean TOPography EXperiment |
T/P |
TOPEX/Poseidon |
T/R |
Transfer/Receive |
TRF |
Terrestrial Reference Frame |
TROS |
TRansportable Observation Station |
TTandC |
Tracking-Telemetry/Control |
TUJJB |
Turkish Union of Geodesy and Geophysics |
TUM |
Technical University of Munich (Germany) |
U |
UARS |
Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite |
UK |
United Kingdom |
UM |
University of Maryland (College Park, MD) |
UMBC |
University of Maryland Baltimore County (USA) |
UNAVCO |
University NAVSTAR Consortium |
UOSATS |
University of Surrey Satellite (United Kingdom) |
UPF |
Universit de la Polynsie Franaise (French Polynesia) |
URL |
Uniform Resource Locator |
USA |
United States of America |
USAF |
United States Air Force |
USC & GS |
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey |
USGS |
United States Geological Survey |
USN |
United States Navy |
USNO |
United States Naval Observatory |
USSPACECOM |
United States Space Command |
UT |
Universal Time |
UT |
University of Texas (USA) |
UT Austin |
University of Texas, Austin (USA) |
UTC |
Universal Coordinated Time |
UTCSR |
University of Texas Center for Space Research |
UTOPIA |
University of Texas Orbit Processor (USA) |
UTXM |
University of Texas McDonald Observatory (USA) |
UUCP |
Unix to Unix Copy Program |
V |
VAFB |
Vandenberg Air Force Base (Vandenberg, CA) |
VCL |
Vegetation Canopy Lidar |
VLBA |
Very Long Baseline Array |
VLBI |
Very Long Baseline Interferometry |
VNIIFTRI |
All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Physical-Technical and Radiotechnical
Measurements (Russia) |
VOL |
Variation Of Latitude |
W |
WEGENER |
Working Group of European Geoscientists for the Establishment of Networks for
Earth-science Research |
WETLAS |
Wettzell, Germany Laser Station |
WGS |
World Geodetic System |
WLRS |
Wettzell Laser Ranging System (Germany) |
WESTPAC |
Western Pacific Laser Tracking Network Satellite |
WFF |
Wallops Flight Facility (NASA) |
WG |
Working Group |
WLRS |
Wettzell Laser Ranging System (Germany) |
WPLTN |
Western Pacific Laser Tracking Network |
WRMS |
Weighted Root Mean Square |
WTU |
Wuhan Technical University (PRC) |
WWW |
World Wide Web |
X |
X.25 |
Level II communication protocal for packet |
Y |
Y2K |
Year 2000 |
Z |
ZIMLAS |
Zimmerwald, Switzerland Laser Station |