Glossary

This page contains a list of important terms and abbreviations commonly used in Aurora.
 * AFR
 * Annual Failure Rate - The chance of a spacecraft component failing based on a one year duration.


 * AMM
 * Anti-missile Missile - A missile designed to defend spacecraft by destroying Anti-ship Missiles.


 * ASM
 * Anti-ship Missile - A missile designed to destroy spacecraft.


 * ATM
 * Atmospheric Pressure - A measure of a System Body's atmosphere that comprises a specific gas based on its percentage of the System Body's total ATM.


 * BP
 * Build Point - A measure of cost in wealth for assembling a spacecraft using a Shipyard.


 * CF
 * Construction Factory - A facility on a colonized System Body that is usually the primary source of industry on that System Body. Industry is used to construct additional facilities on a System Body, including Planetary Defense Center and spacecraft components.


 * CIWS
 * Close-in Weapon System - A spacecraft component that is an automated Point Defense system based on kinetic or energy beam weapons. This is similar to the real world Phalanx CIWS.


 * CMC
 * Civilian Mining Colony - A colony on a colonized System Body created by a commercial shipping company for purposes of mining Trans-Newtonian minerals.


 * CO
 * Commanding Officer - The officer commanding a spacecraft or ground forces unit.


 * DR
 * Diplomatic Relation - A measure of progress for establishing peaceful relations with another faction.


 * DSTS
 * Deep Space Tracking Station - A facility on a colonized System Body that provides long range Electromagnetic and Thermal sensors. Each additional DSTS increases the range of the Electromagnetic and Thermal sensors by 25%.


 * ECM
 * Electronic Countermeasure - An electronic system and spacecraft component that interferes with missile Fire Control by reducing its effective range.


 * ECCM
 * Electronic Counter-countermeasure - An electronic system and spacecraft component that counters the effect of Electronic Countermeasures.


 * EM
 * Electromagnetic - Used in the context of EM sensor, signature, etc.


 * EP
 * Espionage Point - A measure of progress for stealing information from another faction.


 * EPM
 * Economic Production Modifier - A measure of the operational efficiency of facilities on a colonized System Body. If current wealth is less than zero (i.e., deficit spending), then facilities on a colonized System Body that require inputs operate at reduced efficiency. The rate of reduced efficiency is a ratio based on current wealth vs. annual wealth.


 * FAC
 * Fast Attack Craft - A small spacecraft less than or equal to 1,000 tons in size that does not require a Bridge spacecraft component. FACs are assembled using a Shipyard.


 * FC
 * Fire Control - An electronic system and spacecraft component that designates targets with an optical sensor for its assigned weapon system(s). FC depend on active sensors for targeting information.


 * FF
 * Fighter Factory - A facility on a colonized System Body that is used to construct fighters. The rate of production is the level of fighter production rate technology modified by the fighter production bonus of the planetary and sector governors, provided they have been appointed. Each FF requires 50,000 population to operate.


 * GC
 * Gauss Cannon - A kinetic beam weapon and spacecraft component based on Electromagnetic acceleration of ammo.


 * GCB
 * Ground Combat Bonus - A percentage bonus to ground forces unit combat based on the ground forces unit's Commanding Officer.


 * GFTF
 * Ground Forces Training Facility - A facility on a colonized System Body used to train ground forces units. Each GFTFproduces 100 Training Points annually.


 * GPS
 * Gravity Pulse Strength - A measure of the strength of an active sensor. GPS is range * resolution.


 * HPM
 * High Power Microwave - A beam weapon system and spacecraft component that ignores armor and only damages electronic systems.


 * HS
 * Hull Space - A spacecraft is measured in HS, which are 50 tons each. Thus, a spacecraft with 100 HS is 5,000 tons.


 * HTK
 * Hits to Kill - The amount of damage required to destroy a spacecraft component. If less damage than the HTK is inflicted on a spacecraft component, then the chance of destruction is damage / HTK.


 * IFR
 * Incremental Failure Rate - The chance of a spacecraft component failing during a five day increment.


 * JP
 * Jump Point - A point in space in a planetary system where gravitational influences cancel each other out. This allows a spacecraft equipped with a jump drive to temporarily stabilize surrounding space-time and instantly travel to a different JPin a different planetary system. A spacecraft can also use a jump gate, which is built on a JP by a specialized spacecraft, to permanently stabilize surrounding space-time.


 * JR
 * Jump Rating - A measure of the strength and area of effect of a jump drive. The first number is the number of spacecraft the jump drive can simultaneously transport. The second number is the radius of the jump drive's area of effect in thousands of km centered on the spacecraft carrying the jump drive.


 * LP
 * Lagrange Point - A point in space in a planetary system where gravitational influences partially cancel each other out. This allows a spacecraft equipped with a jump drive to temporarily stabilize surrounding space-time and instantly travel to a different LP in the same planetary system. Aurora uses the L5 LP of massive gas giants, which are 60 degrees behind these SBs in their orbital paths around their stars, as LPs.


 * MCR
 * Minimum Contact Range - The range in km at which a resolution 1 active sensor can detect missiles of Missile Size Point six or less.


 * MIRV
 * Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle - A missile with two stages where the second stage contains multiple sub-missiles.


 * MSP
 * Missile Size Point - A measure of size for a missile and its components for design purposes. One HS, or 50 tons, is equal to 20 MSP. Phrased another way, one MSP is equal to 0.05 HS or 2.5 tons.


 * NPR
 * Non-player Race - A faction controlled by the computer instead of the player.


 * OOB
 * Order of Battle - A hierarchical list of the spacecraft, fighters, Fast Attack Craft, etc. that comprise a single force in a naval combat engagement.


 * OrdF
 * Ordnance Factory - A facility on a colonized System Body that manufactures ammo. The rate of production is the level of ordnance production rate technology modified by the ordnance production bonus of the planetary and sector governors, provided they have been appointed. Each OrdF requires 50,000 population to operate.


 * OWP
 * Orbital Weapon Platform - A spacecraft without engines in orbit around a System Body with a weapon system.


 * PD
 * Point Defense - Weapons used to defend a single point or region in space like a spacecraft or System Body. These include Anti-missile Missiles and Close-in Weapon Systems.


 * PDC
 * Planetary Defense Center - A facility on a colonized System Body with spacecraft components like sensor and weapon systems. Can also garrison ground forces units. PDCs are built using industry.


 * PPV
 * Planetary Protection Value - The amount of protection a spacecraft provides to nearby colonized System Bodies based on its weapon systems.


 * RGCS
 * Racial Ground Combat Strength - A percentage bonus to ground forces units during combat based on faction.


 * RM
 * Range Modifier - A multiplier that determines the max range of a beam weapon system.


 * ROF
 * Rate of Fire - The speed at which a weapon system fires in sec.


 * RP
 * Research Point - A measure of research cost or progress for new technology based on research lab facilities.


 * SB
 * System Body - A planet, chunk, trojan, comet, etc. in a planetary system that can be colonized and potentially mined for Trans-Newtonian minerals.


 * SI
 * Service Industry - The percentage of a colony's population working in industries other than agriculture and environment or manufacturing.


 * SM
 * Space Master - The impartial referee in a multiplayer game.


 * SP
 * Survey Point - A measure of gravitational or geographic survey cost or progress for planetary system gravitational or System Body geographic surveys, respectively.


 * SY
 * Shipyard - A facility on a colonized System Body used to assemble spacecraft, Orbital Weapon Platforms, Fast Attack Craft, etc.


 * TCS
 * Target Cross Section - The size of a vessel for purposes of active sensors.


 * TF
 * Terraforming Facility - A facility on a colonized System Body that is used to change the composition of the atmosphere of a System Body. Each TF can add or remove a quantity of atmosphere at a rate equal to the terraforming rate technology modified by the terraforming bonus of the planetary and sector governors, provided they have been appointed.


 * TH
 * Thermal - Used in the context of TH sensor, signature, etc.


 * TMA
 * Target Motion Analysis - An analysis of observed speed, Electromagnetic signature, and Thermal signature to determine an approximate size for spacecraft detected using Electromagnetic or Thermal sensors.


 * TP
 * Training Point - A measure of cost in wealth for training a ground forces unit.


 * TS
 * Tracking Speed - The speed in km / sec at which a beam weapon system can be aimed at a target.


 * WH
 * Warhead - The amount of damage a missile will inflict on a target.