| Acronym | Meaning |
| COSTAR | Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement |
| OTA | Optical Telescope Assembly |
| PCT | Photometric Calibration Test |
| ADFRF | Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility |
| GBT | Green Bank Telescope |
| ISO | Imaging Spectrometic Observatory |
| IGY | International Geophysical Year |
| S | Spiral (for Galaxies) |
| SAMS | Space Acceleration Measurement System |
| BATSE | Burst And Transient Source Experiment |