Glossary for
Adventures of a Star Warrior
Cold War Rocket Science on the Space Frontier

Home Satellites Order
Rockets Aurora Space Shuttle


A&M - Agricultural and Mechanical (as in Texas A&M)
ACS - Attitude Control System
AFB - Air Force Base
AFCRL - Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories
AFGL - Air Force Geophysics Laboratory
AIM - Auroral Ionospheric Mapper
AIRS - Auroral and Ionospheric Remote Sensor
APL - Applied Physics Laboratory
AURA - Atmospheric Ultraviolet Radiation Array
AURIC - Atmospheric Ultraviolet Radiance Integrated Code

BMDO - Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
BOQ - Bachelor Officer Quarters
Brilliant Pebbles - an SDI proposal

CCD - Charge-coupled device
CIRRIS - Cryogenic Infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle

DDR&E - Director for Defense Research and Engineering
DEW - Directed Energy Weapon
Digicon - A light detector in which accelerated photoelectrons are detected by solid state devices
DMSP - Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
DNA - Defense Nuclear Agency
DOD - Department of Defense
DUVS - Dual Ultraviolet Sensors

EWG - Experimenters Working Group (Starlab)

FIDO - Flight Dynamics Officer

GCA - Geophysics Corporation of America

HILAT - High Latitude

ICBM - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
ICD - Interface Control Document
IDA - Institute for Defense Analyses
IG - Inspector General
IOC - Initial Operational Capability
IR - Infrared

KEW - Kinetic Energy Weapon

MAD - Mutually Assured Destruction
Mentally Retarded - although there is a movement to stop using this term (2015), this has been a commonly used term and means no disrespect
MIRV - Multiple Independently-targeted Re-entry Vehicle
MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MSMP - Multi-Spectral Measurements Program

NBS - National Bureau of Standards (now NIST)
NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly NBS)
NRL - Naval Research Laboratory

OGO - Orbiting Geophysical Observatory

Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy
PI - Principle Investigator
Plume - the flames and exhaust gases emanating from a rocket or missile
Polar BEAR - Polar Beacon Experiment and Auroral Research
PSAG - Phenomenology Steering and Advisory Group
PWS - Prader Willi Syndrome

RIF - Reduction in Force
ROC - Range Operations Center

SALT - Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
SCF - Satellite Control Facility
SCOUT - Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test system
SDI - Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars")
SDIO - Strategic Defense Initiative Organization
SERB - Space Experiment Review Board
Skunk Works - a division of Lockheed noted for much success using unconventional methods
SLC - Space Launch Complex
Smart Rocks - an SDI proposal
SPIE - Optical Engineering Society (originally Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers)
STP - Space Test Program
STS - Space Transportation System

TEM - Target Engine Measurement
TM - Telemetry Monitor
TPE - Tracking and Pointing Experiment

UV - Ultraviolet

VAB - Vehicle Assembly Building
VAFB - Vandenberg Air Force Base
VUV - Vacuum Ultraviolet

WSMR - White Sands Missile Range


Adventures of a Star Warrior is Dr. Robert E. Huffman's space science memoir. Order your own copy of Adventures of a Star Warrior here.


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Last Updated: February 17, 2022

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