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degrees Fahrenheit
F-1.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine family. Largest liquid rocket engine ever developed and flown. Severe combustion stability problems were solved during development and it never failed in flight. First flight 1967.
F-1.
Library of Congress Designation of Tsiklon-2 and Tsiklon-2A orbital launch vehicles.
F-1.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 7740.5 kN. Isp=304s. Largest liquid rocket engine ever developed and flown. Severe combustion stability problems were solved during development and it never failed in flight. First flight 1967.
Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine. 63.9 kN. In Production. Thrust is maximum sea level thrust; specific impulse is sea level value at that thrust. Isp=1552s.
F101.
Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine. 75.6 kN. In Production. Thrust is maximum sea level thrust; specific impulse is sea level value at that thrust. Isp=1980s.
Air/Kerosene rocket stage.
Mach 2 rocket launch aircraft. Loaded/empty mass 15,173/10,901 kg. Thrust 71.60 kN. Specific impulse 1800 seconds. Convair Interceptor-delta wing. Maximum release conditions: Weapons bay mounted, 1,957 kg at 2,141 kph at 16,067 m altitude
F-15.
Mach 2 rocket launch aircraft. Loaded/empty mass 16,921/11,833 kg. Thrust 127.72 kN. Specific impulse 1552 seconds. McDonnell Interceptor-cropped delta. Maximum release conditions: 545 kg (2.0 m length x 0.5 m wingspan) at 2,580 kph at 11,582 m altitude (ASAT).
F-1A.
Rocketdyne Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 9189.6 kN. Study 1968. Designed for booster applications. Gas generator, pump-fed. Isp=310s.
F-1r.
Library of Congress Designation of R-36-O orbital missile.
F-2.
Library of Congress Designation of Tsiklon-3 orbital launch vehicle.
American pressure suit, operational 1993. Partial pressure suit development for F-22 Aircraft. Get-me-down partial pressure ensemble combining Mask/Vest/uniform pressure anti-G garment for protection to 18 km.
F2H2.
Air/Kerosene rocket stage.
F-3.
Library of Congress Designation of Tsiklon-4 orbital launch vehicle.
F3H.
Air/Kerosene rocket stage.
F-4.
Mach 2 rocket launch aircraft. Loaded/empty mass 22,517/13,394 kg. Thrust 105.58 kN. Specific impulse 2020 seconds. McDonnell Fighter-cropped delta. Maximum release conditions: 5,442 kg at 2,353 kph at 17,820 m altitude
F4D-1.
Alternate designation for F-6A rocket stage.
F-6.
Turbojet powered rocket launch aircraft. Loaded/empty mass 8,163/6,870 kg. Thrust 45.36 kN. Specific impulse 1414 seconds. Douglas (Heinemann) designed fighter-delta wing. Used as zero stage for Caleb miniature satellite launcher. Maximum release conditions: 3,628 kg at 1,166 kph at 16,768 m altitude
F-6A.
Subsonic rocket launch aircraft. Loaded/empty mass 10,474/6,869 kg. Thrust 71.14 kN. Specific impulse 2770 seconds. Navy fighter used to launch Caleb air-launched rocket. Launch conditions 3,000 lbs at 40,000 feet at 480 mph at 56 degree angle.
American intermediate range cruise missile.
Air/Kerosene rocket stage.
Fabian, John McCreary (1939-) American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-7, STS-51-G.
Fabian, Dr German rocket technician and engineer in WW2; later worked in France at LRBA in the propellants group from 1947 to 1958. Then returned to Germany.
An instrument utilizing the wave nature of light to cause constructive or destructive interference of light by passing a light beam between two parallel partially reflecting surfaces.
FACh.
Chilean agency. Fuerza Aerea de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
FACI.
First article configuration inspection
Russian manufacturer of spacecraft. Factory 918, Russia.
Fadeyev, Valentin Illarionovich (1922-1990) Russian officer. Lieutenant General, Commander of the Baikonur Launch Centre, 1973-1979.
Fagan, Donald (1929-) American test engineer. Member of the Atlas management team, heading aspects of test and flight operations. Later President of Tracor.
Faget, Maxime A (1921-2004) American Chief Designer of American manned spacecraft. Designed Mercury, Apollo, and Shuttle spacecraft.
American manned Mars expedition. Study 1963. NASA Houston supported a conference in May 1963 which examined a number of Mars expedition scenarios.
Fahd.
Iraqi short range ballistic missile.
FAI.
American manufacturer of spacecraft. Final Analysis Inc. , Greenbelt, Greenbelt, USA
Fairchild.
First name of Republic
American manufacturer of rockets, spacecraft, and rocket engines. Fairchild, USA.
Atlas E (SMS 567) ICBM base.
Fairchild Space.
First Owner of Germantown
American military communications satellite. 2 launches, 1995.01.24 (FAISAT) and 1997.09.23 (FAISAT-2V). Store/forward communications.
Falcon.
Code name for Hayabusa asteroid probe.
Falcons are a family of two stage, reusable, liquid oxygen and kerosene powered launch vehicles, designed for cost-efficient and reliable transport of satellites and manned spacecraft to low Earth orbit. The Falcon 1 satellite launcher began launches in 2006, with the Falcon 9 - as large as a Saturn I - flying in 2010. The Falcon series was the only successful project among many attempts to privately develop a low cost launch system since the 1960's.
Hughes solid rocket engine.
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. Falcon I was a two stage, reusable, liquid oxygen and kerosene powered launch vehicle. A single engine powered the first stage. It was designed for cost-efficient and reliable transport of satellites to low Earth orbit. First launch of the Falcon I was scheduled for mid-2004 from Vandenberg, carrying a US Defense Department communications satellite. Development delays and problems with USAF clearances for launch from Vandenberg resulted in the first launch attempt being made in 2006 from a private facility at Omelek near Kwajalein atoll in the Pacific. Success was achieved on the fourth launch in 2008. The Falcon 1 was to be superseded by the Falcon 1e, with an extended-tank first stage, from 2010.
Lox/Kerosene propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 22,993/1,505 kg. Thrust 369.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 300 seconds.
Lox/Kerosene rocket stage. 33.00 kN (7,419 lbf) thrust.
Version of Falcon 1 with stretched first stage and much more powerful Merlin engine.
Lox/Kerosene propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 42,168/2,712 kg. Thrust 615.50 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 304 seconds.
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. Falcon V was a two stage, reusable, liquid oxygen and kerosene powered launch vehicle. The maiden flight was targeted for mid-2005 as of early 2004. It used of the same engines, structural materials and concepts, and avionics and launch system as the Falcon I, differing in having five first-stage engines instead of 1 and a larger diameter. This meant that all the critical components would have a flight proven history even before first launch. By 2006 it had been superseded by the slightly larger Falcon 9.
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. In September 2006 SpaceX was named as one of two winners of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition. The SpaceX award was $278 million for three flight demonstrations of the Falcon 9 booster carrying the Dragon space capsule. On 23 December 2008 NASA announced that the Falcon 9 / Dragon had been selected for launch of a guaranteed minimum of 20,000 kg of payload to the International Space Station in 2010-2014. The firm contract was worth $1.6 billion, with another $1.5 billion of options.
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. The Falcon 9 Heavy would consist of a standard Falcon 9 with two additional Falcon 9 first stages as liquid strap-on boosters.
American navigation technology satellite. One launch, 1997.10.25. US Air Force Academy experiment to demonstrate use of GPS navigation in geosynchronous orbit.
Michoud Lox/Solid hybrid rocket engine. 1400 kN. First stage. Study 2005. Part of the USAF FALCON program to assess hybrid propulsion applications for a responsive small launch vehicle.
Michoud hybrid rocket Lox/Solid engine. 133 kN. Upper stages. Study 2005. Part of the USAF FALCON program to assess hybrid propulsion applications for a responsive small launch vehicle.
FalconLaunch
American technology satellite. 3 launches, 2000.01.27 (Falconsat) to 2007.03.09 (Falconsat-3). The JAWSAT/FalconSat payloads were developed as a joint effort between the Air Force Academy and Weber State University.
British sounding rocket. Single stage hypersonic test vehicle using the Stonechat II solid rocket motor.
Solid rocket stage. 242.00 kN (54,404 lbf) thrust. Mass 5,100 kg (11,244 lb).
Each American space mission would have two family escorts appointed. These astronauts would be responsible for making the travel and accommodation arrangements for the spouses, families, and in-laws of the astronauts to witness the launch. They were also responsible of letting the families know what was going on in case of trouble, and informing them of the death of the crew if necessary.
Fang Guojun (1934-) Chinese pilot taikonaut, 1971, but program cancelled less than a year later.
Fanhui Shei Weixing.
Code name for FSW military surveillance satellite.
FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer.
Alternate designation for FUSE ultraviolet astronomy satellite.
Faris, Mohammed Ahmed (1951-) Arab-Syrian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Mir EP-1. First Syrian to fly in space. Graduated from Military Pilot School, Aleppo, 1973. Colonel and pilot in the Syrian Air Force. Specialist in navigation. Returned to duty after his mission.
Farkas Bertalan 'Bertsi' (1949-) Hungarian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Salyut 6 EP-5. First Hungarian to fly in space.
British manufacturer. Defense Research Agency, Farnborough, UK.
Farrar, Jay (1931-) American engineer. Member of the Atlas management team; later President of Sanders Associates.
Farrimond, Richard Alfred (1947-) British engineer payload specialist astronaut, 1984-1986.
American sounding rocket. Project Farside was an attempt to reach extreme altitudes with the rockoon concept. Using a four-stage solid-propellant rocket hung below a 106 188-m3 (3 750 000-ft3) balloon, altitudes approaching 6437 km (4000 mi) were reached during the fall of 1957. Farside was a four stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Recruit + 1 x Recruit + 4 x Arrow II + 1 x Arrow II.
Fartushny, Vladimir Grigoryevich (1938-) Ukrainian engineer cosmonaut, 1968-1971.
FAS.
Fixed Airlock Shroud.
Test satellite built by Surrey Satellite for the Chilean Air Force.
FAST.
American earth magnetosphere satellite. One launch, 1996.08.21. FAST was designed to observe and measure rapidly varying electric and magnetic fields and the flow of electrons and ions above the aurora.
Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer.
Alternate designation for FAST earth magnetosphere satellite.
Poem: the visionary with a slide-rule named you: Silbervogel...
Fastovets, Aviard Gavrilovich (1937-) Russian test pilot, 1963-2001. From 1963 to 1978 test pilot for the Spiral spaceplane.
Huntsville Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 269 kN. Development ended 1996. Isp=310s. Used on X-34A launch vehicle. Intended to demonstrate lower cost in a reusable simple turbopump rocket engine.
Notional Lox/Kerosene rocket engine. 44.1 kN. Design concept. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center prototype experimental engine that led to Fastrac low-cost engine for X-34. Isp=348s.
Fatkullin, Mars Nurgaliyevich (1939-2003) Russian scientist cosmonaut, 1967-1970.
Favier, Dr Jean-Jacques (1949-) French materials scientist cosmonaut, payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-78.
Favorit.
Popular Name of S-300PMU-2 surface-to-air missile.
FB-1.
Chinese orbital launch vehicle. The FB-1, like the CZ-2 launch vehicle begun the following year, was a two-stage booster developed from the DF-5 intercontinental ballistic missile. Payload for the booster was the JSSW, believed to have been a television-transmission military reconnaissance satellite. The incredible decision to develop two nearly identical rockets concurrently can be blamed on the turbulent factional politics after the Cultural Revolution.
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 150,400/10,000 kg. Thrust 3,000.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 289 seconds.
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 38,300/3,500 kg. Thrust 761.90 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 295 seconds.
FBI.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
FBIS.
Foreign Book Information Service; Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society
FC.
Fluorocarbon
Fedorov, Petr Ivanovich (1898-1945) Russian officer. First Director of NII-l 1944-1945. Oversaw the early search for the A-4.
Fedrov, Igor (-1991) Russian phantom cosmonaut. 1998 urban legend held that during the fall of Soviet Union, their cosmonauts were stranded on the Mir space station. Embodied on film by character Fedrov in short Norwegian film 'Kosmonaut'.
Australian communications satellite. One launch, 2002.12.14. FedSat contained high-tech communication, space science, navigation and computing equipment and was intended to help bring broadband Internet services to remote parts of Australia.
Fefelov, Nikolai Nikolayevich (1945-) Russian engineer cosmonaut, 1970-1995.
FEI.
Physics-Energy Institute, Obninsk, Russia
Fei Junlong (1966-) Chinese pilot taikonaut. Flew on Shenzhou 6. PLAAF pilot, flight trainer and flight technology inspector.
Chinese space suit for extravehicular activity, operational 2008. Reverse-engineered copy of Russian Orlan suits purchased in . Many details different, new Chinese avionics and control systems, all-Chinese materials.
Feldman, George J (1904-) American businessman. Lawyer, financier, consultant to House Select Committee on Science and Astronautics in 1960, a director of Comsat 1962-1965.
Feltz, Charles H (1916-2003) Leading American space engineer. At North American 1940-1981. Chief Engineer on X-15, Apollo, and Space Shuttle. 1974-1981 served as Rockwell corporate trouble-shooter.
Category of persons.
Requirement: female astronauts for Vostok and Voskhod flights, primarily for propaganda purposes.
Requirement: female cosmonauts to visit Salyut and Mir space stations, primarily for propaganda purposes, to upstage American female astronaut flights aboard the shuttle.
Feng Bao 1.
Alternate designation for FB-1 orbital launch vehicle.
Feng Yun.
Alternate designation for FY-1 earth weather satellite.
Feng-Bao-1.
Manufacturer's designation for FB-1 orbital launch vehicle.
Feniks.
Code name for Yantar-2K military surveillance satellite.
Feoktistov, Konstantin Petrovich (1926-2009) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Voskhod 1. First spacecraft designer in space.
Ferguson, Christopher John (1961-) American test pilot astronaut. Flew on STS-115, STS-126, STS-135.
American military naval signals reconnaisance satellite. 19 launches, 1962.02.21 (Ferret 1) to 1971.07.16 (OPS 8373).
Fettman, Dr Martin Joseph (1956-) Jewish-American veterinarian payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-58.
Feustel, Andrew Jay 'Drew' (1965-) American scientist mission specialist astronaut, 2000-on. Flew on STS-134.
FFAR.
Folding-Fin Air Rocket, boosted by 1 x Mk7. Unguided fighter weapon, later used as sounding rocket.
FFAR.
American air-to-air rocket. Folding-Fin Air Rocket, boosted by 1 x Mk7. Unguided fighter weapon, later used as sounding rocket.
FFAR.
Multiple-source American solid rocket engine. 3.6 kN.
FFK.
ERNO solid rocket engine.
FFT.
Fast Fourier Transform
FGB.
Functional-cargo block (Russian abbreviation)
FGB Functional / Cargo Block.
Alternate designation for TKS FGB manned spacecraft module.
FGB TKS / 77KS / 77KM.
Manufacturer's designation for Mir Modules-FGB manned space station.
FGS.
Fine Guidance Sensors (on HST)
FH-1.
Chinese military communications satellite. 2 launches, 2000.01.25 (Zhongxing-22) to 2006.09.12 (Zhongxing 22A). In May 1999 Aviation Week reported that a new communication satellite, Fenghuo-1 (FH-1), would be launched by a CZ-3A by the end of 1999.
FHST.
Fixed Head Star Trackers (on HST)
FIAN.
Russian agency. Physical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences named for P N Lebedev, Russia.
Italian manufacturer of rocket engines. Fiat-Avio, Italy.
Fichs, Walter H German expert in supersonics during World War II. As of January 1947, last known to be working at Wurtemberg.
Fichtner, Hans Joachim Oskar (1917-) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
Fiedler, Willy A German test pilot, aircraft research engineer. Fi-103 test pilot for the Fieselerwerke during WW2. As of January 1947, working at Waldsee, Wuerttemberg.
Fieseler, Gerhard (1896-1987) German chief designer. Manufacturer of the V-1 cruise missile. German sport flier and aircraft manufacturer.
Figge, Paul German Wehrmacht officer. Leader of the Supply and Logistics Special Group for the A-4 missile.
In solar physics, filament designates a quiet prominence or plasma cloud high above the chromosphere, visible as a dark narrow patch against the bright solar disc.
Filatyev, Valentin Ignatyevich (1930-1990) Russian pilot cosmonaut, 1960-1963.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket.
Filipchenko, Anatoli Vassilyevich (1928-) Russian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 7, Soyuz 16.
Fincke, Edward Michael 'Mike' (1967-) American test pilot mission specialist astronaut. Flew on ISS EO-9, ISS EO-18, STS-134. 381 cumulative days in space.
Finger, Harold B (1924-) American physicist. At NASA 1944-1969. Early work involved compressors. Chief of the nuclear engine program 1958-1967. NASA Associate Administrator for Organization and Management 1967-1969.
Finley, John Lawrence 'Jack' (1935-2006) American test pilot astronaut, 1965-1968.
Italian manufacturer. Finmeccanica, Italy.
Finzel, Alfred Johannes (1916-1984) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
FIR.
Far InfraRed
FIRE.
American re-entry vehicle technology satellite. 2 launches, 1964.04.14 (FIRE 1) and 1965.05.22 (FIRE 2). Suborbital re-entry test program that used a subscale model of the Apollo Command Module to verify the configuration at high reentry speed.
Firestone.
French technology satellite. 5 launches, 1980.05.23 (Feuerrad subsatellite 4) to (Feuerrad subsatellite 4). Multiple European technology test satellites launched on the first Ariane.
First Generation Soviet Space Systems.
First Generation Soviet Space Systems
Poem: At the mountain's top, I reach up,...
American manned lunar base. Study 1992. The First Lunar Outpost was a very comprehensive moon base study carried out by NASA's Office of Exploration in 1992.
American manned rescue spacecraft. Study 1960. FIRST (Fabrication of Inflatable Re-entry Structures for Test) used an inflatable Rogallo wing for emergency return of space crew from orbit.
Category of engines.
Fischel, Eduard Martin (1902-1984) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter. German expert in guided missiles during WW2. As of January 1947, working at Fort Bliss, Texas. Died at Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, Germany.
Fischer, Jack David "2fish" (1974-) American test pilot astronaut, 2009-on.
Fisher, Dr Anna Lee Tingle (1949-) American physician mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-51-A. First mother in space. Was married to astronaut William Fisher. Took extended leave 1989 to 1996 to raise family.
Fisher, Dr William Frederick (1946-) American physician mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-51-I. Was married to astronaut Anna Fisher.
FITS.
Flexible Image Transport System
Fitzgerald, James T (-1949) American test pilot. Second person to break the sound barrier on the XS-1 # 1. Killed in a flight accident not long after his XS-1 flight series.
American manned rocketplane. Study 1958. The FJ-4F was a US Navy Fury fighter fitted with a Rocketdyne AR1 engine for quick intercept of Soviet bombers. Two prototypes were tested which reached Mach 1.41 at 22 km altitude.
Flade, Klaus-Dietrich (1952-) German engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Mir 92.
Flamenco.
Popular Name of INTA-300 sounding rocket.
Flanigan, Peter M (1923-) American businessman. A member of the White House staff involved in gaining approval for the shuttle program in 1969-1972.
A violent eruption on the Sun's surface (chromosphere), accompanied by emissions of protons and other particles and of electromagnetic radiation.
American agency. Florida Space Authority, USA.
Flax.
Flax, Alexander H (1921-) American engineer. Worked at Curtiss 1940-1944; Piasecki 1944-1946; Cornell 1946-1955. Leading scientific positions at USAF 1955-1969.
Fleet Satellite Communications.
Alternate designation for FLTSATCOM military communications satellite.
American manufacturer of rockets. Fleetwings, USA.
Fleischer, Karl-Otto (-2005) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
FLEM.
American manned Mars expedition. Study 1966.
Fleming, Patrick Dawson (-1956) American test pilot, flew numerous test aircraft at Edwards AFB until killed in first crash of a B-52.
Fletcher, James C (1919-1991) American engineer, administrator of NASA 1971-1977 (completion of Apollo and beginning of shuttle) and 1986-1989 (NASA restructuring after Challenger disaster).
Rocketdyne exotic ClF3/Hydrazine rocket engine. 48.905 kN. Flexible Energy Management. Pressure-fed. Sustainer 267-4000 lb thrust vacuum, specific impulse 260 seconds. Isp=275s.
British manufacturer of spacecraft. Flight Exploration, UK.
Flight Investigation of the Reentry Environment.
Alternate designation for FIRE re-entry vehicle technology satellite.
American logistics spacecraft. Study 1987. NASA decided to develop a $288-million Flight Telerobotic Servicer in 1987 after Congress voiced concern about American competitiveness in the field of robotics.
US base in the 1980's for 12 BGM-109G ground-launched cruise missiles. The launchers and missiles were withdrawn and destroyed under the INF Treaty with the Soviet Union.
Flores, Pablo (1971-) Argentine cosmonaut candidate.
Flox was a mixture of liquid fluorine and liquid oxygen. This was tested in Atlas rocket engines in the 1950's and 1960's. It improved performance while avoiding the handling problems of pure liquid oxygen. It did not find operational use. Rocket propellant RP-1, or its foreign equivalents, is a straight-run kerosene fraction, which is subjected to further treatment, i.e., acid washing, sulphur dioxide extraction. Thus, unsaturated substances which polymerise in storage are removed, as are sulphur-containing hydrocarbons.
Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine ((CH3)2NNH2) became the storable liquid fuel of choice by the mid-1950's. Development of UDMH in the Soviet Union began in 1949. It is used in virtually all storable liquid rocket engines except for some orbital manoeuvring engines in the United States, where MMH has been preferred due to a slightly higher density and performance.
Tests in the early 1960's showed mixtures of fluroine and oxygen to have higher performance with kerosene than fluorine alone and improved handling. Flox 30 (30% LF2, 70% Lox) could be burned in Atlas rocket motors and improved performance by 5% compared to Lox and nearly identical to that of pure fluorine.
Tests in the early 1960's showed mixtures of fluroine and oxygen to have higher performance with kerosene than fluorine alone and improved handling. Flox 70 (70% LF2, 30% Lox) had the highest performance, with a specific impulse 8% better then LF2 alone and 15% better than Lox alone.
FLTP.
European winged orbital launch vehicle. Europe's Future Launcher Technology Program (FLTP) was an ESA study program that ran from 1999-2002, with the objective of identifying and developing technologies necessary for the successor to the Ariane 5. The planned configuration was a two-stage fully recoverable winged launch vehicle. The winged booster would deliver the orbiter to a given altitude, then booster fly back to its launch base at Kourou. The second stage orbiter continued to orbit, delivered its payload and then returned to Kourou. The program faded out following collapse of the commercial launch market, development problems with the Ariane 5, and cancellation of NASA reusable launch vehicle projects.
American military communications satellite. 8 launches, 1978.02.09 (Fltsatcom 1) to 1989.09.25 (USA 46).
flux.
The rate of flow of some quantity, often used in reference to the flow of some form of energy.
FM.
Frequency Modulation.
FM-2.
FM-2 Russian phantom cosmonaut. Radiation phantom, instrumented anthromorphic dummy (with Gagarin's face!) used to measure radiation dose rates in circumlunar space. Flew to moon and back on Zond 7, 1969 and in earth orbit on Cosmos 368, 1970.
FMMI.
FMMI.
FO.
Flight Operations
Foale, Dr Colin Michael 'Mike' (1957-) British-American physicist mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-45, STS-56, STS-63, Mir NASA-4, STS-103, ISS EO-8; 373 days in space. Appointed Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Operations in 2004.
Fobos.
Code name for Fobos 1F mars orbiter.
Russian Mars orbiter. 5 launches, 1988.07.07 (Phobos 1) to 1988.07.12 (1F PPS). The 1F spacecraft was flown on the Phobos mission to Mars, consisting of 2 nearly identical spacecraft.
FOBS.
Fractional Orbital Bombardment System
FOBS.
Alternate designation for OGCh military orbital bombing system.
FOBS; Fractional Orbital Bombing System.
Alternate designation for R-36-O orbital missile.
FOC.
Faint Object Camera (on HST)
FOD.
Flight Operations Division; Flight Operations Directorate
Foelster German engineer and rocket technician; worked in France after WW2 as part of the armature group at LRBA from 1947 to 1953, then returned to Germany.
FOP.
Financial operating plan
Atlas E (SMS 548) ICBM base.
Ford.
Ford, Kevin Anthony (1960-) American test pilot astronaut, 2000-on.
Ford.
American manufacturer. Ford, USA.
Ford Aeroneutronic Systems Division (1959).
Third Owner of Palo Alto
Ford Aeronutronic.
First Owner of Aeronutronics
Ford Aerospace Corp (1976).
Fifth Owner of Palo Alto
American manned Mars lander. Study 1963. The Mars lander assumed in NASA studies from 1964 to 1966 was a lifting body conceived by Ford Aeronutronic in May-December 1963. Given a go-ahead by 1965, it would be available for Mars missions by 1975.
Ford Philco Aeroneutronics (1963).
Fourth Owner of Palo Alto
Ford Systems Research Group (1956).
Second Owner of Palo Alto
Ford, Gerald R (1913-) American politician. House of Representatives 1948-1973; Vice President 1973-1974; President 1974-1977. No new space initatives, stewarded Nixon's program of ending Apollo, single Apollo-Soyuz flight, continued Shuttle development.
Foreman, Michael James (1957-) American test pilot mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-123, STS-129.
Forman, Edward S (1912-1973) Early American rocket pioneer; co-founder of Aerojet
Russian military communications satellite. Study 1992. Communications satellite - Soviet Ministry of Defense. No other details available.
Forrester, Patrick Graham (1957-) American test pilot mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-105, STS-117, STS-128.
Forschner, Otto German SS SS Officer. SS Sturmbannfuehrer and operations director of the Mittelwerk.
German sounding rocket. Single stage vehicle.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded mass 300 kg.
Fort.
Popular Name of S-300F surface-to-air missile.
Military testing range. In use from 1945 to present. Known to have been used for 75 major launches from 1963 to 2000, reaching up to 365 kilometers altitude.
Pershing, Excalibur Target System launch complex. McGregor Range
Fort Churchill is an Arctic site on Hudson Bay with a rail link. It is near the point of maximum auroral activity. This combination of circumstances made it ideal for far-north sounding rocket launches. In 1954, the Canadian Army conducted the first series of rocket firings at Fort Churchill. Following a period of inactivity, construction of more elaborate facilities in support of the International Geophysical Year began in 1956. IGY firings began in July 1957. The range was closed again in December 1958 after the IGY program ended. It was reopened again in August 1959 by the US Army as part of its network of sounding rocket stations. This allowed use of the site by other groups over the years.
Universal Launcher, Pad 1
Aerobee Launcher, Pad 3
Arcas East Launcher, Pad 4A
Arcas West Launcher, Pad 4A
Nike, Black Brant launch complex. Auroral Launcher, Pad 7
In 2004 Fort Greely, Alaska, became the first launch site for the anti-ballistic missile Ground-Based Interceptors of the United States' Ground-based Midcourse Defense system. The 260,000-hectacre site was located 160 km southeast of Fairbanks, 16 km south of the town of Delta Junction.
Fort Greely 5 inch gun
US Army base used for a series of NASA launches from January 1969 to November 1970. The sounding rocket launch location here was known to have been used for 1160 launches from 1966 to 1979, reaching up to 99 kilometers altitude.
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright LCP
Military testing range. In use from 1958 to present. Known to have been used for 71 major launches from 1960 to 2002, reaching up to 250 kilometers altitude.
Storm-2, Hera launch complex.
Sounding rocket launch location known to have been used for 1 launch in 1984, reaching up to 500 kilometers altitude.
American earth magnetosphere satellite. One launch, 1997.08.29. FORTE - 'Fast On-orbit Recording of Transient Events' - was a US Los Alamos National Laboratory satellite designed to study natural and artificial radio emissions from the ionosphere.
Fort-M.
Popular Name of S-300FM surface-to-air missile.
FOS.
Faint Object Spectrograph (on HST)
Fossum, Michael Edward (1957-) American test pilot mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-121, STS-124, ISS EO-28.
Foster, John S American physicist. Director of Defense Research and Engineering 1965-1973; served on 1992 review board on post-Cold War space policy.
European tether technology satellite. Study 2005. European re-entry capsule experiment planned to be carried on Foton-M2, but not ready in time for launch.
Russian materials science satellite. 15 launches, 1985.04.16 (Cosmos 1645 / Foton 1) to 2007.09.14 (Foton M-2). Adaptation of recoverable Vostok spacecraft for zero-gravity materials processing tests. 400 W available to operate experiments.
Chinese manufacturer of rocket engines. Fourth Academy, China.
fps.
foot (feet) per second
Fractional Orbital Bombardment System..
Manufacturer's designation for OGCh military orbital bombing system.
Fram.
Code name for Zenit-4MKT military surveillance satellite.
France(Asterix).
French earth ionosphere satellite. One launch, 1965.12.06. Investigated the properties of the ionized layers of the atmosphere by observation of the propagation of very low frequency waves in the ionosphere.
France
French agency overseeing development of spacecraft. France Telecom, France.
Dark lines in the spectrum of solar radiation. produced by the absorption of light by gases in the outer portions of the Sun.
FRC.
Flight Research Center (old name for DFRC)
Freedman, Toby (1924-) American physician. Human factors physiologist at North American, proved feasibilty of Apollo three-crew cabin.
Freeman, Theodore Cordy 'Ted' (1930-1964) American test pilot astronaut, 1963-1964. Died in crash of T-38 trainer after bird strike on windshield.
N2O4/UDMH propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 6,535/1,100 kg. Thrust 19.60 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 327 seconds. Upper stage developed from propulsion bus for Lavochkin lunar and planetary probes (Luna Ye-8, Mars M1, Fobos 1F). 20 restarts.
Swedish earth magnetosphere satellite. 2 launches, 1992.10.06 (Freja) and (Freja). Freja was designed to image the aurora and measure particles and fields in the upper ionosphere and lower magnetosphere.
Freja-C.
Alternate designation for Astrid earth magnetosphere satellite.
French AF.
French Army.
French Navy.
Frey.
Frey German rocket engineer in WW2; later worked in France at LRBA on amplifiers in the automated control loop department 1947-1952.
Frick, Stephen Nathaniel (1964-) American test pilot astronaut. Flew on STS-110, STS-122. Flew 26 combat missions over Iraq.
Fricke, Werner German expert in guided missile design during World War II. As of January 1947, last known to be working at Braunschweig.
Friederich, Paul German expert in guided missiles during World War II. As of January 1947, working "c/o Klinger", British Zone.
Friedrich, Hans Rudolph (1911-1958) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Frimout, Dirk Dries David Damian (1941-) Belgian engineer payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-45. First Belgian astronaut.
Frisbee, Walter American phantom cosmonaut. Mysterious tenth member of second NASA astronaut group. The fearless Frisby was in fact a joke on the NASA press corps created by astronauts Lovell and Conrad.
Frog 1.
Department of Defence Designation of Filin tactical ballistic rocket.
Frog 2.
Department of Defence Designation of Mars tactical ballistic rocket.
Frog 3.
Department of Defence Designation of 3R10 tactical ballistic rocket.
Frog 4.
Department of Defence designation of 3R9 missile.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket. Evidently redundant DOD designation.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket. Designation issued by US DOD, but cannot be linked to any known missile post-cold war.
Frog 7.
Department of Defence Designation of R-65 tactical ballistic rocket.
Frog 7A.
Department of Defence Designation of R-70 tactical ballistic rocket.
Frog 7B.
Department of Defence Designation of R-75 tactical ballistic rocket.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket. US designation; does not appear to have existed.
Russian tactical ballistic rocket. US designation; does not appear to have existed.
Frolov, Yevgeni A Russian engineer cosmonaut candidate, 1964. Civilian Engineer, Korolev bureau. On 18 May 1964 selection as cosmonaut not approved.
Poem: I could have sought by wit or wile...
Frosch, Robert A (1928-) American physicist, NASA administrator 1976-1981. During his tenure the shuttle was developed from paper design to flight hardware.
FRR.
Flight-Readiness Review
France Telecom, France
Frutkin, Arnold W (1918-) American scientist. Deputy Director, US IGY Committee, 1956-1958. NASA senior negotiator for international space agreements, 1959-1979.
American communications satellite bus. Operational, first launch 1989.06.05.
FSD.
Flight Systems Division
FSRB.
Flight Safety Review Board
FSW.
Chinese military surveillance satellite. 24 launches, 1974.11.05 (FSW-0) to 2006.09.09 (SJ-8).
Fourth Academy solid rocket engine. 40.660 kN. In Production. Isp=280s. Retrorocket designed for deorbit of FSW recoverable satellite. First flight 1975.
FTD.
Foreign Technology Division, USAF, Wright-Patterson AFB
FTP.
File Transfer Protocol
FTS.
Flight Telerobotic Servicer
Fubini, Eugene G (1913-1997) Italian-American physicist. Worked for the US military in a succession of technical and scientific position 1942-1969.
Fuglesang, Arne Christer (1957-) Swedish engineer cosmonaut, mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-116, STS-128.
Fuhrmann, Herbert Walter (1912-2005) German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter.
Fuji.
Japanese amateur radio communications satellite. One launch, 1996.08.17, JAS-2. Japanese amateur radio satellite.
Fulier, Michal (1955-) Slovak pilot cosmonaut, 1998-1999.
Fuller, Craig American US Government Politician. Craig Fuller was President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet Secretary in the early 1980s and arranged for NASA's space station proposal to be discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet Council for Commerce and Trade.
Fullerton, Charles Gordon (1936-) American test pilot astronaut. Flew on STS-3, STS-51-F.
British sounding rocket. Two stage vehicle consisting of 1 x Heron (107 kN) + 1 x Snipe (16.7 kN).
Solid rocket stage. 16.00 kN (3,597 lbf) thrust. Mass 200 kg (441 lb).
Fulton, Fitzhugh L (1925-) American test pilot, flew the B-52 launch aircraft for the X-15 and the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for shuttle ALT tests.
Fundamental Technology Systems.
American manufacturer of spacecraft. Fundamental Technology Systems, USA.
Funk.
Funk, Mary Wallace 'Wally' (1939-) American pilot, one of the Mercury 13 female astroauts proposed in 1961, but never entered training.
Furrer, Dr Reinhard Alfred (1940-1995) Austrian physicist payload specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-61-A. Died in an airplance crash.
Furukawa, Satoshi (1964-) Japanese physician mission specialist astronaut, 1999-on. Underwent cosmonaut training in Russia, then Astronaut training in USA. Flew on ISS EO-28.
FUSE.
American ultraviolet astronomy satellite. One launch, 1999.06.24. FUSE carried four 0.35m far ultraviolet telescopes each with an ultraviolet high resolution spectrograph.
Future Launcher Technology Program.
Alternate designation for FLTP winged orbital launch vehicle.
FW-4.
Thiokol solid rocket engine family. Used on Advanced Scout, Scout B, Scout D, Scout F, Scout G. First flight 1965.
Thiokol solid rocket engine. 25 kN. Isp=287s. Kick stage motor for Delta E, Delta L. First flight 1965.
Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 300/25 kg. Thrust 25.00 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 287 seconds.
Thiokol solid rocket engine. 27.4 kN. Isp=280s. Used on Advanced Scout, Scout B, Scout D, Scout F, Scout G. First flight 1965.
FWHM.
Full Width at Half Maximum
FY.
Fiscal Year
FY-1.
Chinese earth weather satellite. 4 launches, 1988.09.06 (FY-1A) to 2002.05.15 (SJ-6A). The Feng Yun 1 meteorological satellites were launched into sun-synchronous 900 km, 99 deg inclination orbits by CZ-4 boosters from Taiyuan.
FY-2.
Chinese earth weather satellite. 5 launches, 1997.06.10 (FY-2A) to 2008.12.23 (FY-2C). The Feng Yun 2 spin-stabilized geosynchronous meteorological spacecraft was slightly more massive than China's DFH-2 communications satellite.
Beijing Wan Yuan rocket engine. In Production. Chinese liquid apogee insertion motor. 1800 seconds rated firing time. First flight 1994.
FY-3.
Chinese new generation polar orbit weather satellite. Operational, first launched 2008.05.27. The FY-3 was equipped with new global, all-weather, multi-spectral, three-dimensional sensors.
FYI.
For Your Information
Fyodorov, Anatoli Pavlovich (1941-2002) Russian pilot cosmonaut, 1965-1974. Graduated from E.N. Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School, 1963. Cosmonaut training November 1965-December 1967. Flight controller in Kaliningrad until he retired in 1992.