ACCESS

Advanced Cosmic-ray Composition Experiment for the Space Station

ACE

Advanced Composition Explorer

AGN

active galactic nucleus

AIRS

Advanced Infrared Sounder

ALEXIS

Array of Low-Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors

AO

announcement of opportunity

ARISE

Advanced Radio Interferometry between Space and Earth

ASCA

Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics

AXAF

Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (now Chandra X-ray Observatory)

CAA

Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics

CATSAT

Cooperative Astrophysics and Technology Satellite

CES

Committee on Earth Studies

CFC

chlorofluorocarbon

CGRO

Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

CHAMP

Challenging Minisatellite Payload

CHIPS

Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer

CISP

Committee on International Space Programs

CMBR

cosmic microwave background radiation

CME

coronal mass ejection

COMPLEX

Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration

CRAF

Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby

CSSP

Committee and Solar and Space Physics

CZCS

Coastal Zone Color Scanner

DMSP

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program

DOD

Department of Defense

DSN

Deep Space Network

EMI

electromagnetic interference

EO-1

Earth Orbiter-1

EOS

Earth Observing System

EOS-AM

Earth Observing System Morning Satellite (now Terra)

EOS-CHEM

Earth Observing System Chemistry Satellite

EOS-PM

Earth Observing System Afternoon Satellite (now Aqua)

ESA

European Space Agency

ESE

Earth Science Enterprise

ESSP

Earth System Science Pathfinder (program)

EUVE

Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer

FAME

Full-Sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer

FAST

Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer

FBC

faster-better-cheaper

FIRST

Far Infrared and Submillimeter Telescope

FUSE

Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer

GALEX

Galaxy Evolution Explorer

GCRP

Global Change Research Program

GEC

Global Electrodynamic Constellation

GGS

Global Geospace Science (program)

GLAST

Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope

GO

guest observer

GOES

geostationary operational environmental satellites

GP-B

Gravity Probe-B

GPS

Global Positioning System

GR

general relativity

GRACE

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment

GSFC

Goddard Space Flight Center

HESSI

High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager

HETE

High-Energy Transfer Explorer

HIRS

High-Resolution Infrared Sounder

HST

Hubble Space Telescope

ICESat

Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite

IIP

Instrument Incubator Program

IMAGE

Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration

IMAS

Integrated Multispectral Atmospheric Sounder

IMEX

Inner Magnetosphere Explorer

IMP

Interplanetary Monitoring Platform

INTEGRAL

International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory

IPO

Integrated Program Office

ISEE

International Sun-Earth Explorer

ISM

interstellar medium

ISTP

International Solar-Terrestrial Physics program

JPL

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

LISA

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

MAP

Microwave Anisotropy Probe

MCO

Mars Climate Observer

MIDEX

Medium Explorer (program)

MMS

Magnetospheric Multi Scale

MO&DA

mission operations and data analysis

MoO

mission of opportunity

MPL

Mars Polar Lander

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEAR

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous

NGST

Next Generation Space Telescope

NMS

Neutral Mass Spectrometer

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPOESS

National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System

NPP

NPOESS Preparatory Project

NRC

National Research Council

NSTC

National Science and Technology Council

OSS

Office of Space Science (NASA)

PI

principal investigator

PIDDP

Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program

POES

Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite

QuikSCAT

Quick Scatterometer

R&A

research and analysis

ROSAT

Roentgen Satellite

RXTE

Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer

SAMPEX

Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer

SAR

synthetic aperture radar

SAX

Satellite per Astronomìa in Raggi X

SDI

Strategic Defense Initiative

SeaWiFS

Sea Viewing Wide Field of View Sensor

SEC

Sun-Earth Connection

SIM

Space Interferometry Mission

SIRTF

Space Infrared Telescope Facility

SME

Solar Mesosphere Explorer

SMEX

Small Explorer (program)

SNOE

Student Nitric Oxide Experiment (program)

SOFIA

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

SOHO

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

SSB

Space Studies Board

SSTI

Small Spacecraft Technology Initiative

STD

science and technology definition

STEDI

Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative

STEREO

Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory

STP

Solar-Terrestrial Probe

STScI

Space Telescope Science Institute

SWAS

Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite

TERRIERS

Tomographic Experiment Using Radiative Recombinative Ionospheric Extreme Ultraviolet and Radio Sources

TIMED

Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics

TOMS

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer

TOPEX

Ocean Topography Experiment

TPF

Terrestrial Planet Finder

TRACE

Transition Region and Coronal Explorer

TRMM

Tropical Rainfall Mapping Mission

UARS

Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

UNEX

University Class Explorer (program)

USGCRP

U.S. Global Change Research Program

USRA

Universities Space Research Association

VLA

Very Large Array

WIRE

Wide-field InfraRed Explorer

XEUS

X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission

XMM

X-ray Multi-Mirror mission