National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

NASA Engineering and Safety Center Technical Bulletin No. 15-03

Sine Vibration (SV) Testing involves subjecting the test article to a swept sine input over a frequency range 

(typically 5-100 Hz) to replicate the low-frequency launch environment. This test method is used for various 

purposes on a structural model but mainly on flight articles. The SV levels are derived from measured flight 

data or based on interface acceleration levels from coupled loads analysis (CLA). A logarithmic sweep rate 

is typically used to excite a constant time interval per bandwidth for the test (e.g., 2 or 4 octave/min), which 

is intended to simulate sustained sine and transient events that occur during launch. Risks can be mitigated 

through best practices.

Best Practices for Use of Sine Vibration Testing 

Background of SV Testing 

SV testing is required by NASA-STD-7002 and most launch

vehicle organizations as a final dynamic qualification of 

the payload to demonstrate acceptability for flight. NASA 

requirements differ however between the SV testing 

requirements provided in Air Force Standard SMC-S-016, Test 

Requirements for Launch, Upper-Stage and Space Vehicles, 

and The European Space Agency (ESA) Space Engineering 

Testing Standard ECSS-E-ST-10-03C.

SV Testing Risks

Test incidents and mishaps have happened associated with 

the risk of testing an article through resonance. The following 

is a list of identified risks:

� Testing in a frequency range beyond the CLA

validity or cut-off frequency, or beyond the range of 

model test correlation.

� Lack of definition of test abort settings criteria and 

workable margin between limit and abort levels.

� A hard shut down can happen either due to loss 

of electrical power and/or exceeding amplifier

capability. 

� Lack of sufficient pre-test analysis and non-linear 

response in the structure.

� Lack of sufficient instrumentation to adequately monitor 

hardware responses and protect from over-test.

� Unpredicted interactions between the shaker and test article.

� Incorrect software version in the drive controller.

Best Practices for SV Testing 

� Perform sufficient pre-test analysis to determine instrumentation locations and response limits which can be used to protect the hardware from over-test.

� Prior to running a full-level test, lower levels of input with 

proportional limits should be run to verify the behavior of the 

test article and control system. After completion of each lowlevel run, the response should be compared with analysis 

predictions and prior runs to verify that the test article is 

behaving as expected.

� Structural response in this test is through resonance, thus 

the limit and abort levels need to be properly defined.

� Clearly define and implement response abort levels for 

which positive margin of safety can be demonstrated for the 

hardware.

� Do not test beyond the model correlation frequency range 

and/or the CLA range as margins cannot be relied upon 

because responses in that range are not available. 

� Even if the test item is expected to have rigid body behavior, 

define and implement response aborts. This prevents 

frequency shifts and unexpected resonance build-up, and to 

prevent the unexpected. 

� At the beginning of the test, check and compare the 

unfiltered or raw time histories and the controller spectra. 

Expect some differences in response limits and aborts and 

adjust accordingly.

� Consider non-proportional limits at the lower levels of excitation to allow for additional response to understand lightly 

damped responses; use proportional limits from there onwards 

to verify controller performance.

� The team should define in advance the control strategy that 

best suits the objectives. This is related to average, weighted 

average, or extremal control use. 

References

1) National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Payload Test 

Requirements, NASA Technical Standard NASA-STD-7002, 

September 10, 2004.

2) Air Force Space Command Space and Missile Systems Center, Test Requirements for Launch, Upper-Stage and Space Vehicles, SMC Standard SMC-S-016, September 5, 2014.

3) ESA Space Engineering Testing Standard, ECSS-E-ST10-03C, June 1, 2012.

Acceleration [g]

Time [sec]

Sine Sweep