List of spacecraft prefixes
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A spacecraft prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a spacecraft, and its purpose is often analogous to more conventional ship prefixes. This list does not include prefixes used on rockets, rocket launches, and spaceflights. Non-productive prefixes (e.g. CSS in CSS Skywalker) are also not included in the list.
Prefixes
[edit]Prefix | Meaning | Purpose |
---|---|---|
CM | Command Module | Used to denote individual Apollo command modules (e.g. CM Columbia). |
CSM | Command and Service Module | Used to denote individual Apollo command and service modules (e.g. CSM Columbia). |
DOS | Long-duration Orbital Station[1] | Used to denote individual civilian Salyut stations (e.g. DOS-5) and Salyut-derived modules (e.g. DOS-8). |
LM | Lunar Module | Used to denote individual Apollo Lunar Modules (e.g. LM Eagle).[a] |
OK | Orbital Ship[b] | Used to denote individual Buran-class orbiters (e.g. OK-GLI). |
OPS | Orbital Piloted Station[4] | Used to denote individual Almaz stations (e.g. OPS-3). |
OV | Orbiter Vehicle | Used to denote individual Space Shuttle orbiters (e.g. OV-102 Columbia). |
OTV | Orbital Test Vehicle | Used to denote X-37B vehicles and missions (e.g. OTV-1). |
RSS | Reusable Space Ship | Used to denote New Shepard vehicles and capsules (e.g. RSS H. G. Wells). |
VSS | Virgin Space Ship[5] | Used to denote spaceplanes operated by Virgin Galactic (e.g. VSS Unity). |
S.S. | Unknown (Space Ship?) | Used by Northrop Grumman for Cygnus spacecraft (e.g. S.S. Kalpana Chawla). |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Salyut-1, its origin, flights to it and radio tracking thereof". www.svengrahn.pp.se. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
- ^ "SP-4402 Origins of NASA Names". NASA History. NASA. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ^ Scheer, Julian W. (Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs, NASA). Memorandum from Project Designation Committee, June 9, 1966.
- ^ "The Almaz program". www.russianspaceweb.com. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
- ^ "Scale comparison chart of Spaceshipone and Spaceshiptwo". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2007.