Glossary of microgravity terms

The following is a list of some of the abbreviations used in the field of European microgravity research

ACES	Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space
AD	Advanced Disc Laser (high pulse rate for combustion studies)
AEM	Animal Encolsure Module
AGAT	furnace for diffusion measurements
AO	Announcement of Opportunity
APCF	Advanced Protein Crystallisation Facility
ARF	Aquatic Research Facility
ARIS	Active Rack Isolation System (in ER-2)
ARMS	Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System
ASI	Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (Italian Space Agency)
ATV	Automated Transfer Vehicle
ATV-CC	ATV Control Centre (at CNES/Toulouse)
BAM	Bone Analysis Module (on EPM)
BBSRC	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
BBX	Biobox
BCSS	Biotechnology Cellular operations Support System (in ER-4)
BIOBOX	Biological incubator (for weightless and radiation tests on biological samples)
BNSC	British National Space Centre
BOTEX	Botany Experiment Incubator
BSTC	Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (part of BCSS)
BTR	Biotechnology Refrigerator (part of BCSS)
CC	Control Centre (Columbus CC is at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen)
CCF	Capillary Channel Flow (insert for FIR or Glovebox)
CCLRC	Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (includes RAL)
CDR	Critical Design Review
CEPA	Columbus External Payload Adaptor
CEPF	Columbus External Payload Facility
CERN	European Centre for Nuclear Research (Geneva)
CGS	Columbus Ground Software
CNES	Centre Nationale d’Etudes Spatiales (French Space Agency)
COL-CC	Columbus Control Centre (at DLR/Oberpfaffenhofen)
COL-TRE	Columbus Trainer for Europe (at EAC, Cologne)
COL-TRU	Columbus Trainer for US
Columbus	European pressurised module on ISS
COSMIC	Combustion studies under microgravity conditions (on Odissea)
CPD	Coarse Pointing Device (on Columbus)
CPI	Columbus Payload Integration
CRV	Crew Return Vehicle
CSA	Canadian Space Agency
CTB	Cargo Transport Bag
CUP	Commercial Utilisation Programme
DCCO	Study of Diffusion Coefficients in Crude Oil (on Odissea)
DCI	Droplet Combustion Insert
DCPCG	Dynamically Controlled Protein Crystal Growth (in ER-1)
DEBIE-2	Space debris detector (on EuTEF)
DECLIC	Dispositive d’Etude de la Croissance et des Fluides Critiques
DLR	Deutches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Space Agency)
DMS	Data Management System
D-MSM	Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity (ESA)
DPF	Dust Particle Facilities
DSCF	Diffusion and Soret Coefficients Facility
D-TOS	Directorate of Technical and Operational Support (ESA)
E2P2	ESA Express Pallet Payload
EAB	Equipped Avionics Bay (part of ATV)
EAC	European Astronaut Centre (based in Cologne)
EC	European Commission
ECLSS	Environmental Control and Life Support System
ECMS	European Modular Cultivation System
EDO	Extended Duration Orbiter
EDR	European Drawer Rack
EGSE	Electrical Ground Support System
ELGRA	European Low Gravity Research Association
ELIPS	European Programme in Life and Physical Sciences utilising the International Space Station
ELITE-S2	Module to study postural movements on EPM
EM	Engineering Model
EMBL	European Molecular Biology Laboratory
EMIR	European Microgravity Research Programme (divided into EMIR-1, EMIR-2 and EMIR-2X [extended] – UK is a member of 1 and 2X but not 2)
EML	ElectroMagnetic Levitator (part of MSL on Columbus)
EPF	External Payload Facility? (on Columbus)
EPM	European Physiology Module (on Columbus)
EPM FST	EPM Facility Science Team
EPSRC	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
EPU	Experiment Preparation Unit (unit to thaw samples for Biolab)
ER	Express Rack (on Destiny)
ERA	European Robotic Arm
ERISTO	European Research in Space and Terrestrial Osteoporosis
ESA	European Space Agency (HQ in Paris)
ESF	European Science Foundation
ESR	Earth and Space Research
ESTEC	European Space Technology Centre (largest ESA establishment, based in the Netherlands)
ETC	European Transport and Stowage Carrier (on Columbus)
ETD	Eye Tracking Device (HRF device)
ETM	Electrical Test Model
EU	European Union
EUSO	Extreme Universe Space Observatory (uses atmosphere as detector for extreme energy cosmic radiation)
EuTEF	European Technology Exposure Facility (on CEPA)
EVA	Extra-Vehicular Activity (i.e. “spacewalk”)
ExPA	Express Pallet Adaptor
EXPORT	Mission of two experiments on Columbus including EXPOSE and SPOrt
EXPOSE	externally-mounted, unpressurised, space biology exposure facility on Columbus
FAST	Facility for Adsorption and Surface Tension studies
FCE	Facility Care Element (part of FSL)
FES	Facility for Emulsion Studies
FIPEX	Flux Probe Experiment (on EuTEF)
FM	Flight Model
FMF	Facility for Metal Foams
FMF	Floating Zone Furnace with Magnetic Field
FOCUS	(intelligent IR sensor system on Earth Observation Payload)
FRC	Facility Responsible Centre (USOC)
FSC	Facility Support Centre (USOC)
FSF	Functional Simulation Facility
FSL	Fluid Science Laboratory (on Columbus)
FTC	Fault Tolerant Computer (part of DMS)
FTMF	Facility for Thermal Transport Phenomena in Magnetic Fluids
FWED	Flywheel Exercise Device
GSTP	General Studies and Technology Programme (ESA programme, part funded by Member States, part funded by industry)
GTS	Global Transmission System
HGD	Handgrip Dynamometer
HOSC	Huntsville Operations Support Center
HRF	Human Research Facilities (NASA)
IBIS	Imager on Borard the Intergral Satellite
IBMP	Institute of Biomedical Problems (Russia)
ICAPS	Facility for Interactions in Cosmic and Atmospheric Particle Systems
ICC	Integrated Cargo Carrier (part of ATV)
ICD	Interface Control Document
IGA	Intergovernmental Agreement
IMCE	ISS Management and Cost Evaluation
IMPF	International Microgravity Plasma Facility
IMSPG	International Microgravity Strategic Planning Group
IPC	Industrial Policy Committee (ESA)
ISLSWG	International Life Sciences Working Group
ISPR	International Standard Payload Rack
ISS	International Space Station
ISSAC	Industrial Space Station Advisory Committee
JSC	Johnson Space Center (NASA)
KIK	Convection In Spherical Gap (German facility for diagnosistics of fluid flow)
LBNP	Lower Body Negative Pressure
LGF	Low Gradient Furnace (part of MSL)
LPS	Life & Physical Sciences
LPSAC	Life & Physical Sciences Advisory Committee
LSE	Laboratory Support Equipment (facilities for ISS including MELFI, MSG and Hexapod)
LSRA	Life Sciences Research Announcement
LSWG	Life Sciences Working Group
MAC	Microgravity Advisory Committee (now replaced by LPSAC)
MAMS	Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (in ER-1)
MAP	Microgravity Applications Programme
MARES	Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System
MCC	Mission Control Centre
MCC-H	Space Station Mission Control Center (Houston)
MCC-M	Space Station Mission Control Centre (Moscow)
MEDET	Material Exposure and Degradation Experiment (on EuTEF)
MEEMM	Multi-Electrode Electroencephalogram Mapping Module (on EPM)
MELFI	Minus Eighty Degrees Freezer
MFC	Microgravity Facilities for Columbus
MGA	Metabolic Gas Analyser
MIM	Microgravity Vibration Isolation Mount
MISS	Mice in International Space Station
MISSE	Materials ISS Experiments (external to ISS)
MOMO	Morphological Transition and Model Substances
MOOCE	MELFI On-Orbit Commissioning Experiment
MOSS	Microwave Oscillator on Space Station (superconducting proposal for flexi-mission)
MOU	Memorandum of Understanding
MPLM	Multi Purpose Logistics Module
MPP	Multi-Purpose Platform (modular multi-user furnace) (also called TITUS-MPP)
MRC	Medical Research Council
MSFC	Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA)
MSG	Microgravity Science Glovebox
MSL	Materials Science Laboratory
MSRR-1	Materials Science Research Rack (on Destiny, includes MSL)
MTCF	Mammalian Tissue Culture Facility
MVIS	Microgravity Vibration Isolation System
NERC	Natural Environment Research Council
Odissea	Belgian Taxiflight
OECD	Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OMT	Operations and Management Team (ESTEC)
OSRF	Oceaneering/SpaceHab Refrigerator -Freezer
PATP	Preliminary Authorisation to Proceed
PB-MG	Programme Board for Microgravity
PB-MS	Programme Board for Manned Space
PCDF	Protein Crystallisation Diagnostics Facility
PDR	Preliminary Design Review
PDU	Power Distribution Unit
PEMS	Percutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulator
PFD	Pinchforce Dynamometer
PFS	Pulmonary Function System (provided by ESA for NASA's HRF-2)
PHARAO	Projet d’Horloge Atomique par Refroidissement d’Atomes en Orbite (Caesium atomic clock on ACES)
PICA	Pressurised Integrated Columbus Assembly
PKE	Plasma Kristall Experiment
PLEGPLAY	Plasma electron gun payload (on EuTEF)
POIC	Payload Operations and Integration Center (at HOSC)
PPARC	Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
PROMISS	Protein crystal growth monitoring by digital holographic microscope (on Odissea)
PSWG	Physical Sciences Working Group
PTCU	Passive Thermal Conditioning Unit
RA	Research Announcement
RAL	Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (part of CCLRC)
ReMaP	Research Maximisation and Prioritisation (assembled by NASA to review spending)
RFR	Crew Refrigerator/Freezer Rack
RKA	Rosaviakosmos (Russian Space Agency)
RLTF	Rack Level Test Facility (Astrium/Bremen)
ROSITA	Röntgen Survey and Imaging Telescope Array (astronomical imaging survey in medium energy X-ray, proposed for EPF)
SAGE	Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (NASA)
SAMS	Space Acceleration Measurement System (in ER-2)
SCCO	Soret Coefficient in Crude Oil
SCD	Sample Collection Drawer (on EPM)
SEBA	Space Exposure Biology Assembly (later split into EXPOSE and MATROSHKA)
SHM	Space Hydrogen Maser (part of ACES)
SME	Small or Medium-sized Enterprise
SOL-ACES	Solar Auto Calibrating EUV/UV Spectrometer (part of SOLAR payload)
SOLAR	Solar mission on CPD including SOVIM, SOL-ACES and SOLSPEC
SOLSPEC	Solar Spectrometer (part of SOLAR payload)
SOVIM	Solar Variable and Irradiance Monitor (part of SOLAR payload)
SPFC	Student Parabolic Flight Campaign (ESA)
SPOE	Standard Payload Outfitting Equipment
SPOrt	Sky Polarisation Observatory (measures polarisation of diffuse sky radiation at 20-90 GHz, mounted on CEPA)
SQF	Solidification and Quenching Furnace
SSTF	Space Station Training Facility (Houston)
STM	Structure Thermal Model
SVF	Software Verification Facility
TEMPUS	German electromagnetic levitation facility for parabolic flights
TEPAD	Test Equipment for Payload Development (ground support equipment, part of LSE)
TITUS-MPP	(see MPP)
TQVS	Training, Qualification and Validation Subsystem (flight simulator at COL-CC)
TRIBOLAB	Tribology testbed (on EuTEF)
USOC	User Support and Operation Centre
WHO	World Health Organisation
XEUS	X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission (proposed free-flyer assembled on ISS)
XPLC	External Payload Computer

Last updated: