| C | Capacity |
| C | Celsius (degrees) |
| C2 | command and control |
| C3 | Command, Control and Communication |
| C3S | Command, Control, and Communications Segment (or System) |
| C&A | Certification and Accreditation |
| C&C | Command and Control |
| C&DH | Command and Data Handling |
| CA | Contract Award |
| CAD | computer-aided design |
| CADCAM | Computer Aided Design Computer Aided Manufacturing |
| CADR / CADRe | Cost Analysis Data Requirement |
| CAIV | Cost as an Independent Variable |
| CAL/VAL | Calibration/Validation |
| CALIOP | Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization |
| CALIPSO | Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations |
| CAM | Commerce Acquisition Manual (DOC) |
| CAM | Control Account Management |
| CAM | Cost Account Manager |
| CAN | Cooperative Agreement Notice |
| CAP | Contractor Acquired Property |
| CAPE | Convective Available Potential Energy |
| CAPL | Capillary Pumped Looped Technology |
| CAR | Commerce Acquisition Regulations (DOC) |
| CARD | Cost Analysis Requirements Document |
| CASPR | Cloud and Surface Parameter Retrieval |
| CAT | Clear Air Turbulence |
| CAT | Cloud Algorithm Team |
| CATS | Common Anomaly Tracking System |
| CAVE | Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Validation Experiment |
| CAWS | Collaborated Aviation Weather Statement |
| Cba | Battery Actual Capacity |
| CBB | Capability Based Build |
| CBE | Contractor Best Estimate |
| CBHB | Critical Bus Heartbeat |
| CBIT | Continuous Built In Test |
| CBR | Battery Rated Capacity |
| CBS | Commerce Business System |
| CBS | Composite Bench Structure |
| CBT | Computer Based Training |
| CBU | Consolidated Backup (previously known as Remote Backup) |
| CC | Clear Case |
| CCA | Circuit Card Assembly |
| CCAFS | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| CCAP | Cause and Corrective Action Plan |
| CCB | Configuration Control Board / Change Control Board |
| CCBD | Configuration Control Board Directive |
| CCC | Component Configuration Command |
| CCD | Charge Coupled Device |
| CCE | Cryocooler Control Electronics |
| CCF | Common Cause Failures |
| CCF | MSU’s Coupled Cyclotron Facility |
| CCHP | Constant Conduction Heat Pipe |
| CCL | Commerce Control List |
| CCL | OS/COMET Control Language |
| CCMDB | Change and Configuration Management Database |
| CCP | Contamination Control Plan |
| CCP | Common Control Provider |
| CCOR | Compact Coronagraph |
| CCR | Center for Climate Research (IES) |
| CCR | Central Contractor Registry |
| CCR | Change Control Request |
| CCR | Configuration Change Request |
| CCR | Contract Change Request |
| CCRM | Continuous Cost Risk Management |
| CCSDS | Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems |
| CCT | Calibration Coordination Team |
| CCTV | Closed Circuit Television |
| CD | Center Director |
| CD | Compact Disk |
| CD | Critical Design |
| CDA | Command and Data Acquisition |
| CDA | Controllable Drive Actuators |
| CDAS | Command and Data Acquisition Station |
| CDB | Component Data Base |
| CDD | Critical Design Document |
| CDDL | Common Development and Distribution License |
| CDF | Common Data Format |
| CDF | Cumulative Distribution Function |
| CDH | Command and Data Handling |
| CDL | Controlled Documents List |
| CDMA | Code Division Multiple Access |
| CDO | Central Dense Overcast |
| CDR | Climate Data Record |
| CDR | Critical Design Review |
| CDRD | Contract Data Requirements Document |
| CDRL | Contract Data Requirements List |
| CDRR | Critical Design Review Report |
| CDS | Central Data Service (NWS) |
| CDS | Correlated Double Sampling |
| CDUA | Command Decryption Unit Assembly |
| CE | Chief Engineer |
| CEA | Center Export Administrator |
| CEB | Camera Electronics Box |
| CEC | Central Electronics Complex |
| CEE | Common Event Expression |
| CEE | Converged Enhanced Ethernet |
| CEI | Current Execution Index |
| CEOS | Committee on Earth Observation Satellites |
| CEP | Circular Equivalent Pointing |
| CEPS | Cloud Effective Particle Size |
| CEQ | Center for Environmental Quality |
| CER | Cost Estimating Relationships |
| CERES | Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System |
| CERT | Computer Emergency Readiness Team |
| CERT | Cost Estimation Reconciliation Team |
| CETS | Component Environmental Test Specification |
| CF | Climate and Forecasts |
| CF/FEP | Command Formatter/Front End Processor |
| CFCLD | Constant Fire with CLouDs |
| CFD | Continuous Full Disk |
| CFE | Contractor-Furnished Equipment |
| CFI | Contractor Furnished Information |
| CFNOCLD | Constant Fire with NO CLouDs |
| CFO | Chief Financial Officer |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulation |
| CFS | Climate Forecast System |
| CFSR | Contract Funds Status Report |
| CFY | contract fiscal year |
| CG | Center of Gravity |
| CGA | Column Grid Array |
| CGI | Common Gateway Interface |
| CGMS | Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites |
| CGSE | Communications Government Supplied Equipment |
| CHOP | Countermeasures Hands-On Program |
| CI | configuration Item |
| CI | Controlled Interface |
| CI | Convective Initiation |
| CI | Cooperative Institute |
| CICS | Cooperative Institute for Climate Studies |
| CID | Chief Information Division |
| CIFAR | Cooperative Institute For Alaska Research |
| CIL | Critical Items List |
| CIM | CCOR Instrument Model |
| CIMMS | Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (University of Oklahoma) |
| CIMOM | Common Information |
| CIMSS | Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies |
| CIMU | Common Inertial Measurement Unit |
| CIO | Center Information Office (NASA) |
| CIO | Chief Information Officer |
| CIOSS | Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Studies |
| CIP | Celestial Intermediate Pole |
| CIP | Critical Infrastructure Program |
| CIPS | Calibration, INR and Product Science |
| CIPS | Common Integrated Process Standard |
| CIRA | Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere |
| CIRC | Computer Incident Response Centers |
| CIRES | Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Studies |
| CIRREF | Cirrus Reflectance Test |
| CIRT | Contractor Interim Response Team |
| CIS | Center for Internet Security |
| CITR | Commercial Information Technology Requirements |
| CITR | Commercial Interim Technology Requirements |
| CITRB | Commerce Information Technology Review Board (DOC) |
| CLASS | Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System |
| CLAVR-x | Clouds from AVHRR - extended |
| CLCW | Command Link Control Word |
| CLFM | Component Level Fault Management |
| CLI | Command Line Interface |
| CLIN | contract line item number |
| CloudSat | Cloud Satellite |
| CLTU | Command Link Transmission Unit |
| cm | centimeter |
| CM | Configuration Management |
| CM&O | Center Maintenance and Operations |
| CMAC | Cipher-based Message Authentication Code |
| CMART | Configuration Management and Anomaly Reporting & Tracking |
| CMC | Camera Mechanism Card |
| CMC | Center Management Council (GSFC) |
| CMD | command |
| CMD | Contract Management Division |
| CMDB | Configuration Management Data Base |
| CMDL | Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory |
| CME | Coronal Mass Ejection(s) |
| CMI | cloud and moisture imagery |
| CMI | Common Modeling Infrastructure |
| CMI | Crop Moisture Index |
| CMIP | Cloud and Moisture Imagery Product |
| CMIS | Conical-scanning Microwave Imager/Sounder |
| CML | Consolidated Material List |
| CMM | Capability Maturity Model® |
| CMM | Coordinate Measuring Machine |
| CMMI | Capability Maturity Model Integration |
| CMO | Configuration Management Office |
| CMO | Configuration Management Officer (NASA) |
| CMORPHIR | Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Morphing algorithm with Infrared |
| CMP | Center Real Property Master Plan |
| CMP | Configuration Management Plan |
| CMP | Connectivity Management Processor |
| CMR | Command Receiver |
| CMS | Configuration Management System |
| CMT | Configuration Management Tool |
| CNA | Converged Network Adaptor |
| CND | Could-Not-Duplicate |
| CNFMR | Control and Monitor Framework |
| CNR | Clutter-to-Noise Ratio |
| CNSS | Committee on National Security Systems |
| CO | Contracting Officer |
| CO | Corporate Office |
| CoC | Chain of Custody |
| COD | Cloud Optical Depth |
| CODAR | Coastal Ocean Dynamic Application Radar |
| CODATA | Committee on Data for Science and Technology |
| CoF | Construction of Facilities |
| COFR | Certificate of Flight Readiness |
| COGE | Cognizant Engineer |
| COI | critical operations issues |
| COMET | Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training |
| COMM | Communications |
| COMSEC | Communications Security |
| CONOPS / ConOps | Concept of Operations |
| CONUS | Contiguous United States |
| COOP | Continuity of Operations |
| COP | Contingency Operations Procedure |
| COP-1 | Communications Operation Procedure-1 |
| COPS | Convectively and Orographically-induced Precipitation Study |
| COPV | Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel |
| COR | Contracting Officer’s Representative |
| CORD | Cable Organizing and Routing Device |
| COREnet | Core Network |
| CORL | Consolidated Observational Requirement List |
| CoRP | The Cooperative Research Program |
| COS | Chief of Staff |
| CoS | Class of Service |
| CoS | Continuity of Service |
| COSI | Common Operating System Image |
| COSPAR | Committee on Space Research |
| COSPAS | Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov (Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress) |
| COSYSMO | Constructive Systems Engineering Cost Model |
| COTR | Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative |
| COTS | Commercial Off-The-Shelf |
| COVE | Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Ocean Validation Experiment |
| CP | Certificate Policy |
| CP | Command Procedure |
| CP | Contingency Plan |
| CP | Critical Path |
| CPAF | Cost Plus Award Fee |
| CPC | Climate Prediction Center |
| CPC | Computer Program Component |
| CPC-IRFREQ | Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Infrared Frequency Matching |
| CPCI | Compact Personal Computer Interface |
| CPCI | Computer Program Configuration Item |
| CPCI | Conventional Peripheral Component Interconnect |
| CPE | Certified Principal Engineer |
| CPE | Chief Project Engineer |
| CPFF | Cost Plus Fixed Fee |
| CPHC | Central Pacific Hurricane Center |
| CPI | Cost Performance Index |
| CPIC | Capital Planning and Investment Control |
| CPIF | Cost Plus Fixed Fee |
| CPL | Capillary Pumped Loop |
| CPL | Common Public License |
| CPL | consolidated product list |
| CPLI | Critical Path Length Index |
| CPM | Central Property Management |
| CPM | Computer Program Module |
| CPM | Control and Power Module |
| CPMT | Command Procedure Message Text |
| CPR | Contractor Performance Report |
| CPR | Cost Performance Report |
| CPS | Cloud Particle Size |
| CPSD | Cloud Particle Size Distribution |
| CPSR | Contractor Purchasing System Review |
| CPT | Comprehensive Performance Test |
| CPSS | Core Propulsion Subsystem Simulator |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| CQ | Clear Quest |
| CQCM | Cryogenic Quartz Crystal Microbalance |
| CR | Candidate Risk |
| CR | Change Request |
| CRAG | Contractor’s Risk Assessment Guide |
| CRB | CRB |
| CRC | Cyclic Redundancy Check |
| CRE | Certified Reliability Engineer |
| CREST | Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center |
| CrIS | Cross-Track Infrared Sounder |
| CRM | Continuous Risk Management |
| CRM | Customer Relationship Management |
| CRN | Climate Reference Network |
| CRRES | Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite |
| CRT | Cloud Region Temperature |
| CRT | Cloud Restoral Test |
| CRT | Customer Response Team |
| CRTM | Community Radiative Transfer Model |
| CRUD | Create, Read, Update, Delete |
| CRYOHP | Cryogenic Heat Pipe |
| CRYOTP | Cryogenic Two Phase |
| CRYPTO | Cryptography |
| CS | Chief Scientist |
| CS | Class Selector |
| CS | Clear Sky |
| CS | Common/Computer Software |
| CS | Conducted Susceptibility |
| CSA | Configuration Status Accounting |
| CSAM | Cyber-Security Assessment and Management |
| CSAR | Configuration Status Accounting Report |
| CSBM | Cell Sense and Bypass Module |
| CSBT | Clear Sky Brightness Test |
| CSC | Computer Software Component |
| CSCI | Computer Software Configuration Item |
| CSD | Computer Services Division |
| CSDGM | Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata |
| CSE | Chief Systems Engineer |
| CSF | Command System Formatter |
| CSI | Customer Source Inspections |
| CSM | Climate System Model |
| CSO | Chief Safety and Mission Assurance Officer |
| CSPA | Charge Sensitive Pre-Amplifier |
| CSRT | Clear Sky Restoral Test |
| CSS | Common Support Services |
| CSS | Coarse Sun Sensor |
| CSU | Channel Service Unit |
| CSU | Computer Software Unit |
| CSS | Current Sensor Unit |
| CSWIT | Combined Software Integration and Test |
| CT | Cross Track |
| CTC | Channel to Channel Co-registration |
| CTC | Controlled Technology Coordinator |
| CTE | Coefficient of Thermal Expansion |
| CTE | Critical Technology Element |
| CTG | Cost To Go |
| CTP | Cloud Top Pressure |
| CTP | Command and Telemetry Processor |
| CTRN | CLASS Test Recipient Node |
| CTT | Cloud Top Temperature |
| CTV | Compatibility Test Van |
| CUT | Code and Unit Test |
| CV | Contract Value |
| CV | Cost Variance |
| CVCM | Calibration and Validation Coordination Manager |
| CVCM | Collected Volatile Condensable Material |
| CVCT | Calibration/Validation Coordination Team |
| CVE | Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures |
| CWBS | Contractor Work Breakdown Structure |
| CWE | Caution and Warning Electronics |
| CWG | Calibration Working Group |
| CWP | Cloud Water Path |