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)