I know that LEO means low Earth orbit. I thought that LMO would mean low Mars orbit, but my friend said it means low Mercury orbit. Does LMO mean low Mars orbit, low Mercury orbit, none of those or both of those?
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asked Aug 20, 2022 at 15:56
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$\begingroup$ I have also seen LMO used for "Low Moon Orbit" but according to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_orbit the correct name should be "Low Lunar Orbit". $\endgroup$– WoodyCommented Aug 20, 2022 at 16:10
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11$\begingroup$ Presumably it could mean any of those dependent on the context $\endgroup$– user438383Commented Aug 20, 2022 at 16:27
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$\begingroup$ In space.SE, its usage has been sticked for Mars, e.g. space.stackexchange.com/questions/37850/… but as user438383, it can be used for either planet depending on context. $\endgroup$– Nilay GhoshCommented Aug 22, 2022 at 7:50
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2 Answers
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The Chrome extension NASA Acronyms (and accompanying website) suggest these three options for LMO:
- Low Mars Orbit
- Low Moon Orbiter
- Lunar Magma Ocean
According to the master json list these particular acronym meanings are sourced from NASA Langley.
answered Aug 21, 2022 at 21:34
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There are usages of M for Mars in some other abbreviations, such as MER for Mars Exploration Rover. A couple entries use M for Mercury, but these appear to relate to the space program as opposed to the planet.
One celestial object M is generally not used for is the Moon; usually L for Lunar is used instead. The Moon, as "Lunar", is the only object besides Earth for which abbreviations are listed for orbits, as with LOI (Lunar Orbit Insertion) and LLO (Low Lunar Orbit).
answered Aug 20, 2022 at 19:39