Appendix D
Acronyms
AEC
—Atomic Energy Commission
AFRL
—Air Force Research Laboratory
AMTEC
—alkali metal thermal to electric converter
BMDO
—Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
CC/MC
—conductively coupled multicell (thermionic converter)
CIM
—cylindrical inverted multicell (thermionic converter)
CVD
—chemical vapor deposition
DARPA
—Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
DNA
—Defense Nuclear Agency
DoD
—Department of Defense
DOE
—Department of Energy
DTRA
—Defense Threat Reduction Agency
GEO
—geosynchronous Earth orbit
HPALM
—high-power, advanced, low-mass (solar thermionic system)
IAPG
—Interagency Advanced Power Group
IPPE
—Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (Russia)
ISS
—International Space Station
ISUS
—Integrated Solar Upper Stage (Orbital Vehicle program)
LEO
—low Earth orbit
JPL
—Jet Propulsion Laboratory
MHD
—magnetohydrodynamic
MPD
—magnetoplasmadynamicMTC
—microminiature thermionic converter
NASA
—National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NMERI
—New Mexico Engineering Research Institute
NRC
—National Research Council
RTG
—radioisotope thermoelectric generator
SRA
—Scientific Research Association
SDIO
—Strategic Defense Initiative Office
SET
—Solar Energy Technology (program)
SNAP
—Space Nuclear Auxiliary Power (program)
SOTV
—Solar Orbital Transfer Vehicle (program)
SPAR
—Space Power Advanced Reactor (program)
STA
—Space Technology Alliance
STAR-C
—space thermionic advanced reactor-compact
START
—string thermionic assembly research testbed (tests)
TFE
—thermionic fuel element
TFEV
—Thermionic Fuel Element Verification (program)
TOPAZ
—thermionic power from the active zone (a Russian acronym)
TRIGA
—training (test) reactor isotope General Atomics
USAF
—U.S. Air Force
