| Acronym | Meaning |
| APE | Auroral Photography Experiment |
| SPOT | Systeme Probatoire Pour L'Observation De La Terre |
| DOE | Department Of The Environment |
| ATSR | Along Track Scanning Radiometer |
| PDE | Particle Dispersion Experiment |
| HLC | Heavy Lift Capability |
| PPM | Positions And Proper Motions (catalog) |
| SNR | Signal To Noise Ratio / SuperNova Remnant |
| AE | Arianespace SA |
| USA/RC | Universities Space Automation/Robotics Consortium |