SOA-CO TERMINOLOGY

Flashcards of space and military terms for exam preparation

AEHF

Advanced Extremely High Frequency

AFB / AFS

Air Force Base / Air Force Station

AOC

Air Operations Center

AOI

Area of Interest

Apogee

The point in the orbit of a heavenly body at which it is farthest from the earth

Argument of Perigee (ω)

Angle in a satellites' orbit plane that is measured from the Ascending Node to the perigee along the satellite direction of travel

CGO

Company Grade Officer

CLV

Calculated Load Value, Crew Launch Vehicle

COP

Common Operating Picture

DCO

Defensive Cyber Operations

DHS

Department of Homeland Security

DoD

Department of Defense

DOP

Dilution of Precision

DSCS

Defense Satellite Communications Systems - wideband communications spacecraft for the USAF

DSP

Defense Satellite Program or Defense Support Program - Eyes in the Sky

EHF

Extremely High Frequency (30-300 GHz; 1mm-1cm)

ELF

Extremely Low Frequency (3-30 Hz; 100,000km-10,000km)

EMS

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Equitorial Plane

The plane passing through the equator

EWR

Early Warning Radar and Electromagnetic Wave Resistivity

GBR

Ground-Based Radar and Global Broadband Roaming

GBS

Global Broadcast Service

GEO

Geosynchronous Earth Orbit or Geostationary Orbit ( ~22,300 miles above Earth)

GEODSS

Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance

GEOINT

Geospatial Intelligence

GPS

Global Positioning System

GSU

Geographically Separated Unit

HEO

Highly Elliptical or High Earth Orbit: ~100 to several hundred thousand miles (altitude varies greatly)

HF

High Frequency (3-30 MHz; 100m-10m)

IMINT

Imagery Intelligence

Inclination (i)

Angle between from the equatoral plane to location in orbit stated in degrees

IR

Infrared

ISR

Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance

ISSO

Institute for Space Systems Operations

JFFT

Joint Friendly Force Tracking

JSPOC

Joint Space Operations Center

Kepler's First Law

A law stating that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the sun at one focus of the ellipse

Kepler's Second Law

A planet's orbital speed changes with its distance from the sun

Kepler's Third Law

The ratio of the square of the revolutionary period to the cube of the orbital axis is the same for all planets

LaGrange Point

A point in an the orbital configuration of a two-body system where a small object affected only by gravity can theoretically be stationary relative to the two larger objects

LDR

Low Data Rate (e.g., text messages)

LEO

Low Earth Orbit: 120-1200 miles above Earth

MDA

Missile Defense Agency

MDR

Medium Data Rate (e.g., 4G)

MDT

Mission Defense Teams

MEO

Mid Earth Orbit: ~1,000 above Earth (mainly GPS satellites)

MILSTAR

Military, Strategic, Tactical and Relay: 5 military satellites

MUOS

U.S. Navy’s Mobile User Objective System (LMCO is the prime contractor)

NADIR

The point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer

North America Nebula

A cloud of gas or dust in deep space comprising hydrogen, helium, and other ionized gases

Newton's First Law of Motion

A body remains at rest or in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force

Newton's Second Law of Motion

The rate of change of momentum is proportional to the imposed force and goes in the direction of the force

Newton's Third Law of Motion

Action and reaction are equal and opposite

NGA

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (US DoD)

NGEN

Next generation

NORAD

North American Aerospace Defense Command

NRO

National Reconnissance Office

NSA

National Security Agency

NSDC

National Space Defense Center

NUDET

Nuclear Detonation

OCS

Offensive Counter Space

OOD

Operation Olympic Defender

OPIR

Overhead Persistent IR

Perigee

The point in the orbit of a heavenly body, specifically the moon, or of an artificial satellite at which it is nearest to the earth

Posse Comitatus

The power of the county, or the citizens who may be summoned to assist the authorities

Posigrade

Describing motion in a forward direction

PPS

Precise Precision System

PR

Personnel Recovery

Prograde

Moving from east to west on the celestial sphere

RAAN (Ω)

Right Ascension of the Ascending Node - angle measured from First Point of Aries to where the satellite passes through an equatorial plane on its ascending pass

RCS

Radar cross-section; also Reaction Control System

Ready.gov (DHS)

Be informed and plan ahead in preparation for possible disasters

Retrograde

Moving backwards

SBIRS

Space-based IR system

SHF

Super High Frequency (3-30GHz; 1m-1cm)

Sidereal time

The measurement calculates the length of a day by comparing the earth's rotation to the stars

SIGINT

Signals Intelligence

SIPR

Secure Internet Protocol Router; based in Annapolis, MD

SPADOC

Space Defense Operations Center

SPIRIT

Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope

SSA

Space Situational Awareness

SSDP

Space Systems Defense Program

Syzygy

The nearly straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies in a gravitational system

UHF

Ultra High Frequency (300-3000 MHz; 1m-10cm)

USNORTHCOM

United States Northern Command

UTC

Universal Coordinated Time

VHF

Very High Frequency (30-300 MHz; 10m-1m)

VLF

Very Low Frequency (3-30 KHz; 100km to 10km)

VIZOBS

Visual Observations

VOP

Velocity of Propagation

XDR

Extended Data Rate (e.g., videochats)

Zenith

The point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer