| ANDRAT | Autonomous Navigation Relevance Assessment |
| AO | announcement of opportunity |
| APL | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory |
| CAESAR | Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return |
| CAPS | Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences |
| CATE | cost and technical evaluation |
| CLPS | Commercial Lunar Payload Services |
| CORAL | Centaur Orbiter and Lander |
| CSSR | Comet Surface Sample Return |
| DAVINCI | Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gasses, Chemistry, and Imaging |
| EMF | Enceladus Multiple Flyby |
| ESA | European Space Agency |
| ESSIO | Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office (NASA) |
| FSS | Farside Sessions Suite |
| GRAIL | Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission |
| GSFC | Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) |
| HotTech | Hot Operating Temperature Technology |
| ILSA | Instrument for Lunar Science Activity |
| IVO | Io Volcanic Observer |
| JPL | Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California Institute of Technology) |
| JWST | James Webb Space Telescope |
| LDEP | Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (NASA) |
| LGN | Lunar Geophysical Network |
| LRO | Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter |
| LSST | Large Synoptic Sky Telescope |
| MWR | microwave radiometer |
| NF | New Frontiers (mission) |
| NFSS | New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy (2003) |
| NOSSE | Opening New Frontiers in Space: Choices for the Next New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity (2008) |
| ONF5 | Options for the Fifth New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity (2020) |
| OSIRIS-REx | Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security—Regolith Explorer Mission (NF-3) |
| OWL | Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology (2023) |
| PI | principal investigator |
| PMCS | planetary mission concept study |
| PSD | Planetary Science Division (NASA Science Mission Directorate) |
| RTG | radioisotope thermoelectric generator |
| SMD | Science Mission Directorate |
| SPA | South Pole–Aiken |
| SSB | Space Studies Board |
| TRACE | technical risk and cost evaluation |
| UOP | Uranus Orbiter and Probe |
| V&V | Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013–2022 (2011) |
| VERITAS | Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy |
| VISE | Venus In Situ Explorer |