Codes
Here you will find a list of abbreviated and other terms used on this site or common in the space industry which you may find helpful to better understand space-related articles on this site or elsewhere.
Last updated: 6 April 2026
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ASAT | Anti-Satellite Weapons |
| CJEU | Court of Justice of the European Union |
| CNES | Centre National d’Ètudes Spatiales |
| DLR | German Aerospace Centre (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) |
| DSB | Dispute Settlement Body |
| EAC | European Astronaut Centre |
| EASA | European Aviation Safety Agency |
| ECHR | European Court of Human Rights |
| ECSL | European Centre for Space Law |
| ELDO | European Launch Development Organization |
| ESA | European Space Agency |
| ESAC | European Space Astronomy Centre |
| ESCAT | European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications |
| ESOC | European Space Operations Centre |
| ESRIN | European Space Research Institute |
| ESRO | European Space Research Organisation |
| ESTEC | European Space Research and Technology Centre |
| EU | European Union |
| EUMETSAT | European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites |
| EUTELSAT | European Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration |
| GEO | Geostationary Orbit |
| GNSS | Global Navigation Satellite System |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| HAPS | High Altitude Pseudo Satellites |
| IAA | International Academy for Astronautics |
| IADC | Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ICBM | Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles |
| ICJ | Intrnational Court of Justice |
| IGA | Intergovernmental Agreement |
| IISL | International Institute of Space Law |
| ILA | International Law Association |
| ILC | International Law Commission |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization |
| IMSO | International Mobile Satellite Organization |
| ISS | International Space Station |
| ITSO | International Telecommunications Satellite Organization |
| ITU | International Telecommunications Union |
| JAXA | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |
| LEO | Low Earth Orbit |
| MEO | Medium Earth Orbit |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NPS | Nuclear power sources |
| Oribital carrying capacity | The concept of how much traffic (space debris, satellites, and other space assets) a particular orbit can safely hold (below a certain threshold) to avoid over-crowding and collisions |
| OTS | Outer Space Treaty |
| PCA | Permanent Court of Arbitration |
| PCJ | Permanent Court of International Justice |
| Res. | Resolution |
| ROSCOSMOS | Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities |
| SETI | Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence |
| Sounding rocket | An instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight |
| SSA | Space Situational Awareness |
| STM | Space Traffic Management |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCOPUS | United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space |
| UNCLO | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea |
| UNGA | United Nations General Assembly |
| UNIDROIT | International Institute for the Unification of Private Law |
| UNOOSA | United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs |
| VCLT | Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties |
| WIPO | World Intellectual Property Organization |
| WRC | World Radiocommunication Conference |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |