ALSCC: Apollo Lunar Surface Close-Up Camera, also known as the Gold Camera after its developer, astronomer Tommy Gold
ALSEP: Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package; collection of experiments flown to the lunar surface by Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17
AMU: Astronaut Maneuvering Unit
AOS: Acquisition Of Signal
ASE: Active Seismic Experiment; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 14 and 16
CAPCOM: Spacecraft Communicator
CCIG: Cold Cathode Ion Gauge experiment; was part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 12, 14, and 15
CDR: Commander
CM: Command Module
CMP: Command Module Pilot
CO2: Carbon Dioxyde
CP: Command Pilot or Control Point
CRD: Cosmic Ray Detector; flown on Apollo 16 and 17
CSM: Command and Service Module
CSQ: Call sign of NASA tracking ship Coastal Sentry Quebec
CSRC: Contingency Sample Return Container
DAC: Digital to Analog Converter or Data Acquisition Camera
Dixie Cup: This nickname refers to the cup-shaped, individual sample bags that were used on Apollo 12, 14, and 17
DOI: Descent Orbit Insertion
DPS: Descent Propulsion System
EASEP: Early Apollo Surface Experiment Package; collection of experiments flown on Apollo 11; see ASE and LRRR
ECS: Environmental Control System
EMU: Extravehicular Mobility Unit; Space Suit and Backpack combination
ETB: Equipment Transfer Bag
EVA: Extravehicular Activity
FDO or FIDO: Flight Dynamics Officer
G – M
GET: Ground-Elapsed Time
Gnomon: A tool that consists of a weighted staff suspended on a two-ring gimbal and supported by a tripod. The staff extends 12 inches above the gimbal and is painted with a gray scale. The gnomon is used as a photographic reference to indicate local vertical, sun angle, and scale.
HCEX: Highspeed Color Ektachrome Film
HEDC: Hasselblad Electric Data Camera
HFE: Heat Flow Experiment or Heat Flow Electronics; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 15, 16, and 17
HQ: (NASA) Headquarters
IGN: Ignition
IVA: Intravehicular Activity
JETT: Jettison
JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
KSC: Kennedy Space Center
LACE: Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 17
LAD: Lunar Atmosphere Detector
LCRU: Lunar Communications Relay Unit
LDD: Lunar Dust Detector; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 12, 14, and 15
LDG: Landing
LEB: Lower Equipment Bay
LEC: Lunar Equipment Conveyor
LEVA: Lunar Extravehicular Visor Assembly; a polycarbonate shell and two visors with thermal control and optical coatings on them
LiOH: Lithium Hydroxide
LLTV: Lunar Landing Training Vehicle
LM: Lunar Module
LMP: Lunar Module Pilot
LMS: Lunar Mass Spectrometer
LNP: Lunar Neutron Probe (experiment); flown on Apollo 17
LOI: Lunar Orbit Insertion
LOS: Loss Of Signal
LPI: Lunar and Planetary Institute
LPM: Lunar Portable Magnetometer; flown on Apollo 14 and 16
LRC: (NASA) Langley Research Center
LRL: Lunar Receiving Laboratory
LRRR, LR Cubed, or LR3: Lunar Ranging Retro-Reflector; flown on Apollo 11, 14, and 15
LRV: Lunar Roving Vehicle or Lunar Rover; flown on Apollo 15, 16, and 17
LSG: Lunar Surface Gravimeter; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 17
LSM: Lunar Surface Magnetometer; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 12, 15, and 16
LTG: Lunar Traverse Gravimeter (experiment); flown on Apollo 17
MAG: Magazine
MCC: Mission Control Center or MidCourse Correction
MCCH: Mission Control Center Houston
MESA: Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly
MET: Mission Elapsed Time, Mission Event Timer, or Mobile Equipment Transporter or Modular Equipment Transporter. The Apollo 14 transporter was a two-wheeled rickshaw vehicle used to carry tools, containers, spare film, etc.
MSFC: (NASA) Marshall Spaceflight Center
MOCR: Mission Operations Control Room
MPA: Mortar Pack Assembly
MSC: (NASA) Manned Spacecraft Center; now Johnson Space Center
MSFN: Manned Space Flight Network; provides reliable, (usually) continuous, and instantaneous radio communications with the astronauts, launch vehicle, and spacecraft from lift-off to splashdown
MSOB: Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at the Kennedy Space Center
N – Z
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NAV: Navigation
O2: Oxygen
OPS: Oxygen Purge System
PAD: Preliminary Advisory Data: the crew had pre-printed forms on which they could write lift-off times and other data they would need in the event that communications was lost with Houston. Before and after each rest period, the CapCom would read up a list of lift-off times covering the next 10 to 12 hours and, prior to launch, a longer list of data was read up
PAO: Public Affairs Office or Public Affairs Officer
PDI: Powered Descent Initiation
PLSS: Portable Life Support System
Plus Y axis: North side of the LM
Plus Z axis: West side of the LM
POGO: Partial Gravity Simulator
PPK: Personal Preference Kits
PSE(P): Passive Seismic Experiment (Package); part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16
PTC: Passive Thermal Control; also known as the Barbecue mode, in which the LM/CSM stack was oriented with its long axis perpendicular to the Sun so that, when the spacecraft were put into a slow rotation around that axis, heating and cooling would be relatively uniform.
PYRO: Pyrotechnic
QUAD: Quadrant
RCS: Reaction Control System
RCU: Remote Control Unit
REACQ: Re-acquire
Reseau Plate: A glass plate fitted close to the film plane in the lunar surface Hasselblads
RTG: Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generator; used to provide power to the ALSEP experiments flown on Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17
S/C: Spacecraft
SCB: Sample Collection Bag
SEB: Scientific Equipment Bay
SEC: Special Environmental Container; the container when sealed will retain a high vacuum for study of lunar samples in its original environment
SEQ: Sequence or Scientific Equipment Bay
SIDE: Suprathermal Ion Detection Experiment; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 12, 14, and 15
SIM: Scientific Instrument Module
SLA: Spacecraft Launch Adapter or SM/LM Adapter
SM: Service Module
SPS: Service Propulsion System
SRC: Sample Return Container; the rock boxes
SWC: Solar Wind Composition Collector; flown on Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16
SWS: Solar Wind Spectrometer; part of the ALSEP instrumentation flown on Apollo 12 and 15
TEC: Transearth Coast
TEI: Transearth Injection
T/G: Thumper/Geophone Experiment
TGE: Traverse Gravimeter Experiment; flown on Apollo 17
