| ACE | Flight Mission Controller |
| ACM | Activity Constraint Manager |
| ActID | Activity ID |
| AD | Activity Dictionary |
| ADR | Adaptive Data Rate |
| AEGIS | Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science (rover software for intelligent targeting & data acquisition) |
| AFT | Allowable Flight Temperatures |
| AM | Before noon (a.m. time) |
| APAM | Activity Plan Approval Meeting |
| APGEN | Activity Plan Generator |
| APID | Applications Process Identification |
| APSS | Activity Planning and Sequencing Subsystem |
| APXS | Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer |
| ART | Anomaly Response Team |
| ATLO | Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations |
| BASIE | Bridging Activity planning and Sequence Integration Engineer |
| BATR | Bagnold Access Traverse |
| BCB | Battery Controller Board |
| BK | Buckskin (drill sample) |
| BP | Blueprint |
| BS | Big Sky (drill sample) |
| C&DH | Command and Data Handling |
| CAM | Command Approval Meeting |
| CAP | Characterization Activity Phase |
| CB | Cumberland (drill sample) |
| CBM | Communication Behavior Manager |
| CC | Contamination Control |
| CCB | Change Control Board |
| CCBU | ChemCam Body Unit |
| CCCT | ChemCam Calibration Targets |
| CCD | Charge-Coupled Device |
| CCL | Commerce Control List (for EAR) |
| CCMU | ChemCam Mast Unit |
| CDC | Condensed Drilling Campaign |
| CDPID | Camera-assigned Data Product ID |
| CDS | Central Data Store |
| CEDL | Cruise & EDL |
| CETN | Counter of Epithermal Neutrons |
| CFO | Candidate for Observation |
| CH | Confidence Hills (drill sample) |
| ChemCam | Chemistry and Camera |
| CheMin | Chemistry and Mineralogy |
| CHIMRA | Collection and Handling for Interior Martian Rock Analysis |
| CIA | Chemical Index of Alteration |
| CM | Configuration Management |
| CMSA | Cruise Mission Support Area |
| CogE | Cognizant Engineer |
| COM | Communication Window |
| COTS | Commercial Off-The-Shelf |
| CRC | Cyclic Redundancy Check, a data error detection technique |
| CRISM | Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (on MRO) |
| CS | Contact Science |
| CSPL | Chemical Separation and Processing Laboratory (for SAM) |
| CSV | Comma Separated Value |
| CSW | Contact Switch |
| CTN | Counter of Thermal Neutrons |
| CTS | Coax Transfer Switch |
| CTX | Context Camera (on MRO) |
| DAN | Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons |
| DAWG | Data Archive Working Group |
| DB | Database |
| DBE | Double Bit Error |
| DD | Dust Devil |
| DDI | Defined Data Item |
| DE | Detectors/Electronics (on the DAN instrument) |
| DEA | Digital Electronics Assembly (for MMM cameras) |
| DEM | Digital Elevation Map |
| DFE | Direct from Earth |
| DL | Downlink |
| DM | Data Management |
| DMT | Data Management Tool |
| DMX | Data Management |
| DOD | Depth of Discharge |
| DOF | Degree of Freedom |
| DOM | Distributed Object Manager |
| DOSA | Deactivate Other Sequences (All of them) |
| DOY | Day of Year |
| DP | Data Product |
| DPSR | Data Product Summary Report |
| DRT | Dust Removal Tool |
| DSN | Deep Space Network |
| DTE | Direct to Earth |
| DV | Data Volume |
| DVT | Data Validity Time (DVT approximately correlates to the SCLK time that the data product was created by the Rover Compute Element (RCE) |
| E/S | Engineering/Science |
| EAR | Export Administration Regulations |
| EBT | Electrical Baseline Test (for SAM) |
| ECAM | Engineering Cameras (Navcams & Hazcams) |
| ECCN | Export Control Classification Number (for EAR) |
| ECR | Engineering Change Request |
| ECS | Evolved Cached Sample (the new way of caching in CHIMRA) |
| EDL | Entry, Descent, and Landing |
| EDR | Experiment Data Record |
| EGA | Evolved Gas Analysis |
| EHA | Engineering Housekeeping and Accountability |
| EKO | Engineering Keepout |
| ELT | Electra Lite UHF radio |
| EM | Extended Mission |
| ENV | Atmosphere and Environment Science Theme Group |
| EO | Engineering Operations |
| EPO | Education and Public Outreach |
| ERT | Earth Receive Time |
| ET | Earth Time |
| E-Tray | Engineering Observation Tray |
| ETT | Earth Transmit Time |
| EUL | Engineering Uplink Lead |
| EVR | Event Verification Record |
| FEI | File Exchange Interface |
| FHAZ | Front Hazcam |
| FINCON | FINal CONditions (for SEQGEN) |
| FL | Focal Length |
| FMFT | Fast Motion Field Test (held in 2011) |
| FMWI | Full MAHLI Wheel Imaging |
| FOD | Foreign Object Debris |
| FOV | Field of View |
| FP | Fault Protection |
| FR | Flight Rule |
| FSTB | Flight Software Testbed |
| FSW | Flight Software |
| FSWX | Flight Software Transition (upgrade to a new version) |
| FTA | First Time Activity |
| GAZ CAL | Calibration of G (G = the winding conductance of a motor) |
| GC | Gas Chromatograph |
| GC | Garden City |
| GCM | Global Circulation Model (atmosphere) |
| GCMS | Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer |
| GCR | Galactic Cosmic Ray |
| GDS | Ground Data System |
| GDSA | Ground Data System Analyst |
| GEO | Geology Science Theme Group |
| GH | Greenhorn (drill sample) |
| GIL | Ground in the Loop (allows time for people on Earth to study downlink data from Mars) |
| GOP | Group of Pictures (JPEG video frames) |
| GST | Generic Sol Time (same as LMST) |
| GTS | Ground Temperature Sensor (on REMS) |
| Hazcam | Hazard avoidance camera |
| HEOMD | Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate |
| HePPI | Helpful Product Priority Identifier (for MMM products) |
| HGA | High Gain Antenna |
| HGAG | High Gain Antenna Gimbal |
| HiRISE | High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (on MRO) |
| HO | Handover |
| HRIM | High Resolution Interval Mode (for the REMS Humidity Sensor) |
| HRS | Heat Rejection System |
| HS | Humidity Sensor |
| HW | Hardware |
| IC | Inlet Cover (inlets for SAM and CheMin) |
| IE | Instrument Engineer |
| IML | Instrument Management Layer (software for communication between RCE and the science instruments) |
| IMU | Inertial Measurement Unit |
| INCON | INitial CONditions (for SEQGEN) |
| IPA | Integrated Pump Assembly |
| IPE | Integrated Planning and Execution |
| ISA | Incident, Surprise, Anomaly (report) |
| ISR | Internal Series Resistance (of a battery) |
| ITAR | International Traffic in Arms Regulations |
| IVP | Inertial Vector Pointing |
| JK | John Klein (drill sample) |
| KO | Kickoff |
| KOP | Keeper of the Plan |
| LAP | Look Ahead Plan |
| LAPM | Look Ahead Plan Meeting |
| LCA | Launch, Cruise, and Approach |
| LCC | Load Control Card |
| LDAP | Lightweight Directory Access Protocol |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode |
| LGA | Low Gain Antenna |
| LIBS | Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (in ChemCam) |
| LL | Local Level (coordinate frame) |
| LMST | Local Mean Solar Time |
| LOCO | LOw COmplexity LOssless COmpression |
| LOS | Line of Sight |
| LS | Listing (of DMX files) |
| LST | Local Solar Time |
| LTP | Long Term Planner |
| LTST | Local True Solar Time |
| M/S | Master/Submaster |
| M/SM | Master/Submaster Walkthrough |
| MAHLI | Mars Hand Lens Imager |
| MARDI | Mars Descent Imager |
| MaROS | Mars Relay Operations Service |
| Mastcam | Mast Camera |
| MAVEN | Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN |
| MDM | MMM Data Management Lead |
| MEDLI | Mars EDL Instrument |
| MER | Mars Exploration Rover (Spirit & Opportunity rovers) |
| MEX | Mars Express |
| MGS | Mars Global Surveyor |
| MIF | Mass-Independent Fractionation (for example:MIF-S for sulfur isotopes) |
| MIN | Inorganic Geochemistry and Mineralogy Science Theme Group |
| MiniKOP | KOP for a Science Theme Group |
| MJ | Mojave 2 (drill sample) |
| MM | Mission Manager |
| MMM | Mastcam, MAHLI, and MARDI instruments |
| MMPAT | Multi-Mission Power Analysis Tool |
| MMRTG | MultiMission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator |
| MMS | Mojave Mars Simulant |
| MOB | Mobility |
| MPCS | Mission data Processing and Control Subsystem |
| MPSEditor | Mission Planning and Sequencing Editor |
| MRO | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter |
| MRS-1 | Mars Regolith Simulant-1 |
| MS | Mission System |
| MSA | Mission Support Area |
| MSAR | Mount Sharp Ascent Route |
| MSL | Mars Science Laboratory |
| MSLICE | Mars Science Laboratory InterfaCE (software) |
| MSoB | Mount Sharp or Bust (working group) |
| MSSS | Malin Space Science Systems |
| MSTB | Mission System Testbed |
| MTIF | MSL Telecom Interface |
| MTL | MMM Tactical Lead |
| MySQL | My Structured Query Language |
| NAIF | Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility |
| NAND | N(OT) + AND (a type of nonvolatile storage) |
| NAV | Navigation |
| Navcam | Navigation camera |
| nextersol | tomorrow's Mars day (or "solorrow") |
| NG | noble gas |
| NOPE | Network Operations Planning Engineer |
| NPM | Nonvolatile Parameter Management |
| NSYT | InSight |
| NVM | Nonvolatile Memory |
| NVMCAM | Nonvolatile Memory Camera Interface |
| OCM | Organic Check Material |
| ODS | Operational Data Store |
| ODY | Mars Odyssey |
| OIA | Operational Interface Agreement |
| OPGS | Operational Product Generation Subsystem |
| ORT | Operational Readiness Test |
| O-Tray | Observation Tray |
| OWLT | One Way Light Time |
| PADS | Powder Acquisition Drill System |
| PAM | Power & Analog Module |
| PDC | Payload Downlink Coordinator |
| PDI | Post-Drive Imaging |
| PDL | Payload Downlink Lead |
| PDS | Planetary Data System |
| PEF | Predicted Events File |
| PEL | Payload Element Lead |
| PEL | Power Equipment List |
| PFR | Problem Failure Report |
| PI | Principal Investigator |
| PIRCC | Pahrump Imaging Reconnaissance and ChemCam Campaign |
| PLACES | Position Localization and Attitude Correction Estimate Storage |
| PLS | Partial Least Squares |
| PM | Afternoon (p.m. time) |
| PNG | Pulsing Neutron Generator (on DAN) |
| PP | Planetary Protection |
| PRI | Priority |
| PRML | Preview Rover Markup Language |
| PRT | Platinum Resistance Thermometer |
| PSD | Planetary Science Division |
| PSE | Project System Engineer |
| PSG | Project Science Group |
| PUDL | Payload Uplink and Downlink Lead |
| PUL | Payload Uplink Lead |
| QL | QuickLook data product |
| QMDT | Qualification Model Dirty Testing (for SA/SPaH) |
| QMS | Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer |
| RA | Robotic Arm |
| RAD | Radiation Assessment Detector |
| RAD750 | BAE Systems' radiation-hardened single board version of the IBM PowerPC 750 computer |
| RAMP | Rover Avionics Mounting Plate |
| RAMPAGE | Remote Access Multi-mission Processing and Ground Environment |
| RBAU | Rover Battery Assembly Unit |
| RBF | Rover Body Fixed coordinate frame |
| RCE | Rover Compute Element (rover computer) |
| RCT | Record Creation Time |
| RDR | Reduced Data Record |
| REMS | Rover Environmental Monitoring Station |
| REPRI | Reprioritize |
| REU | Remote Engineering Unit |
| REXMIT | Retransmit |
| RF | Radio Frequency |
| RFA | Request For Action |
| RHAZ | Rear Hazcam |
| RIMU | Rover IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) |
| RIPA | Rover Integrated Pump Assembly |
| RMC | Rover Motion Counter |
| RMCA | Rover Motor Controller Assembly |
| RMI | Remote Microscopic Imager (in ChemCam) |
| RMSEP | Root Mean Squared Error of Prediction |
| RN | Rocknest (scoop sample) |
| RNAV | Rover Navigation (coordinate frame) |
| ROP | Rate of Penetration |
| RoSE | Robotic Sequence Editor |
| RP | Rover Planner |
| RPA | Rover Power Assembly |
| RPAM | Rover Power and Analog Module |
| RPFA | Rover Pyro Fire Assembly |
| RSM | Remote Sensing Mast |
| RSVP | Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program |
| RT | Real-time |
| R-T | Rapid-Traverse |
| RTG | Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator |
| RTO | Real Time Operations |
| RTR | Rapid Transit Route (to Mount Sharp) |
| RTS | Resource Tracking System |
| S/C | Spacecraft |
| SAM | Sample Analysis at Mars |
| SAPE | Science Activity Planning Exercise (held in 2008) |
| SAPP | Surface Attitude, Positioning, and Pointing |
| SA-SPaH | Sample Acquisition/Sample Processing, and Handling (arm, drill, scoop, sieves, portioners) |
| SATT | Sample Analysis Thread Test |
| SB | Science Block (in the activity plan) |
| SBE | Single Bit Error |
| SCET | Spacecraft Event Time (UTC time an event happens aboard the spacecraft) |
| SCLK | Spacecraft Clock |
| SCMF | Space Command Message File |
| SD | Science Discussion (meeting) |
| SDRAM | Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory |
| SDST | Small Deep Space Transponder |
| SEP | Solar Energetic Particle |
| SEP | Sun-Earth-Probe (important angle used for conjunction planning) |
| SEQ | Sequence or Sequencing |
| SeqDB | Sequence database |
| SEQGEN | SEQuence validation and command product GENeration |
| SFP | System Fault Protection |
| SIE | Sequence Integration Engineer |
| SIRLi | Strategic Image Request List |
| SIS | Software Interface Specification |
| SMFT | Slow Motion Field Test (held in 2007) |
| SMM | Strategic Mission Manager |
| SMMWG | Surface Materials & Mobility Working Group |
| SMSA | Surface Mission Support Area |
| SNC | Shergottites, Nakhlites, and Chassignites (martian meteorites) |
| SNTT | Surface Nominal Thread Test |
| SO | Science Operations |
| SOAS | Science Operations & Analysis Subsystem |
| SOC | State of Charge |
| SOE | Sequence of Events |
| SOH | State of Health |
| soliday | holiday from planning the rover's next sol, due to the alignment of Mars and Earth time |
| solorrow | tomorrow's Mars day (or "nextersol") |
| SOWG | Science Operations Working Group |
| SP | Science Planner |
| SPAM | Sample Processing Acquisition Manager |
| SPaSIE | Science Planner + Sequence Integration Engineer (a combined role) |
| SPICE | Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, Pointing C-Matrix, and Event Kernels |
| SPL | Strategic Planning Lead |
| SPS | Surface Properties Scientist |
| SPWI | Single Position Wheel Imaging |
| SRAP | Slip Risk Assessment Process |
| SRW | Sequence Report Walkthrough |
| SSF | Spacecraft Sequence File |
| SSP | Strategic Science Planner |
| SSPA | Solid State Power Amplifier |
| SSS | Surface Sampling System |
| SSS AL | Surface Sampling System Activity Lead |
| ST | Schedule Table (for the REMS instrument) |
| STAG | Supra-Tactical Approval Gate |
| STG | Science Theme Group |
| STL | Science Theme Group Lead |
| STR | Safest Transit Route |
| STR | Strategic Transit Route |
| STT | System Thermal Test |
| SUL | Strategic Uplink Lead |
| SUR | Science Uplink Representative |
| SUROM | Startup Read-Only Memory (ROM) |
| SuTL | Supra Tactical Lead |
| SYS | System |
| TAA | Technical Assistance Agreement (ITAR license for export compliance) |
| TACT | Tactical Activity Coordination Tagup |
| TAM | Target Acquisition Meeting |
| TAP | Tactical Activity Plan |
| TB | Testbed |
| TC | Team Chief |
| TCS | Thermal Control System |
| TDL | Tactical Downlink Lead |
| TEC | Thermo Electric Cooler |
| TEL | Telecommunications |
| TFA | Two-Factor Authentication |
| TLS | Tunable Laser Spectrometer |
| TOAST | Touch, Overnight, Stow Arm, and Traverse |
| TOD | Time of Day |
| tosol | martian "today" |
| TP | Telegraph Peak (drill sample) |
| TT | Thread Test |
| TUL | Tactical Uplink Lead |
| TWTA | Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier |
| UHF | Ultra-High Frequency |
| UL | Uplink |
| ULSGEN | Uplink Summary Generation |
| UMT | Upload Management Table |
| USML | U.S. Munitions List (for ITAR) |
| UVS | UV Spectrometer |
| V&V | Verification and Validation |
| V&V (VnV) | Verification and Validation |
| VDP | Virtual Data Product |
| VI | Verification Item |
| VIG | Volatiles and Isotope Geochemistry Science Theme Group |
| VIPER | Visual Predicted Events File (PEF) Reader |
| VNV | Verification and Validation |
| VO | Visual Odometry |
| VOCA | Voice Operational Communications Assembly |
| VOM | Visual Odometry Monitoring (VO run continuously to monitor for rover slip) |
| VSTB | Vehicle System Testbed |
| VTT | Visual Target Tracking |
| WEB | Warm Electronics Box |
| WJ | Windjana (drill sample) |
| WP | Waypoint |
| WRP | Wide Range Pump (in SAM) |
| WS | Wind Sensor |
| WSTS | Workstation Test Set |
| WTS | Waveguide Transfer Switch |
| XRD | X-ray Diffraction |
| yestersol | martian "yesterday" |
| YKB | Yellowknife Bay |