Abbreviations and acronyms
From Kerbal Space Program Wiki
This page lists many abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms that are used frequently to communicate more quickly, but can confuse new players or players who are not familiar with them.
- AGU
- Advanced Grabbing Unit.
- Ap
- Apoapsis, highest point in an orbit.
- CM
- Command Module, a transfer ship that delivers a Lander Module to orbit around some body, then waits there and takes it completely or only the crew home again. Not to be confused with command modules.
- CoL, COL
- Center of Lift.
- CoM, COM
- Center of Mass.
- CoT, COT
- Center of Thrust.
- dV, Δv
- Delta-V, a measure of the ship's propulsive energy.
- EC
- Electric charge, a resource that is used to operate various parts.
- Ecc
- Eccentricity, how circular an orbit is.
- EVA
- Extra-Vehicular Activity - Making Kerbals leave the craft for spacewalks, landings, etc.
- GSO
- Geosynchronous Orbit, an orbit with the same orbital period as Kerbin.
- GUI
- Graphical User Interface.
- HKO
- High Kerbin Orbit, an orbit around Kerbin higher than 2863.33 km.
- HSC
- Hitchhiker Storage Container - The PPD-10 Hitchhiker Storage Container.
- IA
- Intake air, a fuel resource that is used by jet engines.
- Inc
- Inclination, tilt of an orbit.
- ISP, Isp, Isp
- Specific impulse, more accurately Isp but that's hard to do on the forum. A measure of rocket engine efficiency, usually given in seconds. The higher the value, the more efficient the engine.
- IVA
- Intra-Vehicular Activity - The point of view of an individual Kerbal inside the command module.
- KEO
- Kerbisynchronous Equatorial Orbit, and orbit with the same orbital period as Kerbin and with an inclination of 0°.
- KSC
- Kerbal Space Center.
- KSP
- Kerbal Space Program.
- LES
- Launch Escape System.
- LF
- Liquid fuel, a fuel resource that is used by engines.
- LFB
- Liquid Fuel Booster - like the LFB KR-1x2.
- LFO
- Liquid Fuel/Oxidizer, commonly used for fuel tanks that contain Liquid fuel and Oxidizer.
- LKO
- Low Kerbin Orbit, an orbit around Kerbin between 70-200 km.
- LM
- Lander Module, paired with a Command Module and which lands on the body.
- LMB
- Left Mouse Button.
- LMC
- Left Mouse Click.
- MC
- Mission Control.
- Mono
- Monopropellant, a fuel resource that is used for powering RCS thrusters.
- Ox
- Oxidizer, a fuel resource that is used by rocket engines.
- Pe
- Periapsis, lowest point in an orbit.
- R&D
- Research and Development.
- RCS
- Reaction Control System.
- RMB
- Right Mouse Button.
- RMC
- Right Mouse Click.
- RTG
- Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.
- RUD
- Rapid, Unplanned Disassembly. Usually happens when there are not enough struts or it collides with something. See also catastrophic failure.
- SA
- Subassembly (in VAB/SPH).
- SAS
- Stability Augmentation System or (jokingly) Sickness Avoidance Solution/Scheme/System.
- SF
- Solid fuel, a fuel resource that is used by Solid rocket boosters.
- SMA
- Semi-major axis.
- SoI, SOI
- Sphere of influence, which are the frames of reference. The trajectory in the current sphere of influence is shown blue on the map view.
- SPH
- Space Plane Hangar.
- SRB
- Solid Rocket Booster.
- SSTO
- Single-Stage-To-Orbit, a craft that can reach orbit with only one stage.
- TSTO
- Two-Stage-To-Orbit, a craft that can reach orbit with only jettisoning one stage so two stages.
- TVC
- Thrust Vector Control.
- TWR
- Thrust-to-weight ratio, must be greater than 1 to overcome gravity, unless already in space.
- VAB
- Vehicle Assembly Building.
- VTOL
- Vertical TakeOff and Landing.
- Xe
- Xenon gas, a fuel resource that powers ion engines.
