Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!iuvax!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!delta.eecs.nwu.edu!phil
From: phil@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (Bill LeFebvre)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Space Program-related acronyms
Message-ID: <1009@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 7 Aug 89 17:45:18 GMT
References: <135@sdcc10.ucsd.EDU> <1001@accuvax.nwu.edu> <1173@aipna.ed.ac.uk>
Reply-To: phil@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (Bill LeFebvre)
Organization: Northwestern U, Evanston IL, USA
Lines: 23

In article <1173@aipna.ed.ac.uk> rjc@dee (Richard Caley) writes:
>In article <1001@accuvax.nwu.edu> phil@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (Bill LeFebvre) writes:
>
>>CDR	- CommanDeR
>>PLT	- PiLoT
>
>Do they use these? How? do they pronounce them as words ( `cuddr' and
>`plut' or something ) - if not they take more time to say than the
>complete word.

You're right.  Nonetheless, they spell them out: "cee dee ar" and "pee
el tee".  Next time you get a chance, listen very closely to ground
control in the last 10 minutes before launch (you won't be able to do
so tomorrow, since it is a DoD launch).  If you listen closely enough,
you'll hear stations on the ground referring to C-D-R and sometimes
P-L-T.  You have to listen carefully, because they rattle them off
very quickly.  PLT loses, but C-D-R is the same number of syllables and
may actually be said quicker if you practice.

		William LeFebvre
		Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
		Northwestern University
		<phil@eecs.nwu.edu>