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.

ACME
Attitude control and maneuver electronics
AOS
Acquisition of signal
BECO
Booster Engine Cut-Off
BEF
Blunt end forward
CAP COM
Capsule Communicator
CSQ
Coastal Sentry Quebec
DCS
Digital Command System
Drogue
Drogue parachute
A parachute fired before the main parachute, to gain control of the spacecraft after re-entry, providing stability and slowing descent.
FDI
Flight Director Indicator
GETRC
Ground Elapsed Time of Retrofire Initiation Computed
GMTRC
GMT of Retrofire Initiation Computed
IVI
Incremental Velocity Indicator
LOS
Loss of signal (or line or sight)
MAX Q
Maximum dynamic pressure
The point at which aerodynamic stress on a spacecraft in atmospheric flight is maximized.
MCC
Mission Control Center
MDIU
Manual Data Insertion Unit
Molly Brown
The call sign of the Gemini III spacecraft
The name was a reference to “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”, a broadway musical. Gus Grissom chose the name in the hope that the capsule would fare better than the Liberty Bell 7 which sank after splash-down at the end of the Mercury-Redstone 4 mission.
OAMS
Orbit Attitude and Maneuver System
RCS
Reaction control system
RGS
Radio Guidance System
RKV
Rose Knot Victor
A tracking ship
SECO
Sustainer Engine Cut-Off
SEF
Sharp end forward
T/M
Telemetry
ΔV
Delta V (change in velocity)