AOS - acquisition of signal
ATDA - augmented target docking adapter (used as a Gemini rendezvous target)
CapCom — capsule communicator
Cape — Cape Canaveral
CDR — commander—senior astronaut on Apollo mission
CM - command module (reentry portion of the Apollo spacecraft that contains the crew)
CMP - command module pilot
CONTROL - Lunar Module engineer in the MCC responsible for propulsion, attitude control, and primary and abort guidance and navigation systems, including computer hardware
Cryo - cryogenic (oxygen and hydrogen fuels stored at very cold temperatures)
CSM - Command and Service Module—Apollo
EECOM - Gemini or CSM engineer in MCC responsible for electrical, environmental, communications, cryogenic, fuel cell, pyrotechnic, and structural systems
EVA - extravehicular activity
FCD - Flight Control Division—provides majority of flight controllers to the MCC
FCOB - Flight Control Operations Branch—provides assistant flight director and procedures, develops mission rules
FIDO - flight dynamics officer (the MCC specialist in launch and orbit trajectories)
FOD - Flight Operations Directorate organization; also, flight operations director in the MCC
FTE - flight test engineer
G - acceleration due to gravity forces
GMT - Greenwich Mean Time, also referred to as Zulu (Z) time
GNC - Gemini/CSM engineer in MCC responsible for propulsion, attitude control, guidance, and navigation systems, including computer hardware
Go NoGo - decision process to continue or abort a mission activity
GRR - guidance reference release
GSFC - Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Maryland)
GT- - Gemini-Titan-(followed by mission number)
GUIDO - (pronounced GIDO) MCC specialist in navigation and computer software. During Gemini, this included the Titan II guidance system.
INCO - MCC engineer responsible for combined CSM, LM, EVA, and Rover instrumentation, communications, command, and television systems
KSC - John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida
LM - lunar module, previously called lunar excursion module (LEM)
LMP - lunar module pilot
LOI - lunar orbit injection (maneuver to enter into lunar orbit)
LOS - loss of signal
LRC - Langley Research Center (Langley Field, Virginia)
MA- - Mercury-Atlas-(followed by mission number)
Mach - ratio of airspeed to the speed of sound at a given altitude
MCC - Mercury Control Center at Cape 1960-65 or Mission Control Center at Houston 1965-1972
MET - mission elapsed time (time since liftoff)
MPAD - Mission Planning and Analysis Division—responsible for analytic trajectory design
MR- - Mercury-Redstone-(followed by mission number)
MSC - Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, used through 1973
MSFC - Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, Alabama)
NACA - National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NoGo - the decision to cancel a planned event
OD - operations director position in Mercury Control, changed to FOD for Gemini and Apollo
PAO - public affairs officer—position in the MCC to release mission information
POGO - rapid up-and-down maneuver that if continued would destroy launch vehicle
psi - pounds per square inch
PTC - passive thermal control
RCS - Reaction Control System—small propulsion jets for attitude control and small maneuvers
Refsmmat - reference to stable member matrix—technique for conversion between coordinate systems
RETRO - retrofire officer—the MCC specialist in reentry trajectories
RSO - range safety officer—responsible for protecting landmass across the world from errant rockets
SCE - signal conditioning electronics
SimSup - simulation supervisor—the leader of the training team in the MCC
SM - service module—portion of Apollo CSM that contained main engines and power systems
SPAN - spacecraft analysis team—small group in MCC to access design and manufacturing
SPC - stored program command, a command stored in a computer or program that will activate a function at a specific clock time
Stay NoStay - Time-critical decision to remain on the Moon or lift off at the next opportunity
SYSTEMS - Mercury control center engineer responsible for electrical, attitude control, display, and structural systems
TEC - trans-Earth coast
TEI - trans-Earth injection (maneuver to return the spacecraft to Earth from the Moon)
TELMU - Lunar Module engineer responsible for electrical, environmental, communications, pyrotechnic, structural, and EVA systems
TLC - translunar coast
TLI - translunar injection (the maneuver to take the spacecraft to the Moon)
TM - telemetry
Trench - the MCC trajectory team consisting of the RETRO, FIDO, and GUIDO
TVC - thrust vector control (rocket steering mechanism)
Z - Zulu—shortened term for Greenwich Mean Time used in logs and messages
BDA - Bermuda
ATS/RKV - Atlantic Tracking Ship/
CYI - Canary Islands
KNO - Kano, Nigeria
ZZB - Zanzibar
IOS/CSQ - Indian Ocean Ship/
MUC - Muchea, Australia
