List of spacecraft prefixes
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
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).[lower-alpha 1] |
OK | Orbital Ship[lower-alpha 2] | 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). |
USA | United States of America | Used to denote classified satellites of the United States origin (e.g. USA-126). Also used to denote X-37B missions (e.g. USA-212). |
VSS | Virgin Space Ship[5] | Used to denote spaceplanes operated by Virgin Galactic (e.g. VSS Unity). |
S.S. | Unknown (Space Ship?) | Used by Northrup Grumman for Cygnus spacecraft (e.g. S.S. Kalpana Chawla). |
Notes
References
- "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.
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