Vibration Testing of Small Satellites (VTSS)

This 2-day course provides a tutorial, practical guidance, examples, and recommendations for testing a small satellite on an electrodynamic shaker. Addressed are sine-burst testing, random vibration testing, and low-level diagnostic sine sweeps. Notching, response limiting, and force limiting are addressed in detail, with examples. There is also a section on strategies for designing a SmallSat to withstand the vibration tests. The course is primarily aimed at satellites in the 50 – 500 lb (23 – 230 kg) range, but it also applies to CubeSats. Most of the guidance applies to larger satellites as well if they will be tested on a shaker, as well as to spacecraft components. The one-day computer workshop, Notching and Force Limiting Workshop (NFLW), is an optional supplement to the VTSS course. All engineers & managers involved in ensuring small spacecraft can withstand launch environments. Test Configuration, Fixtures, and Instrumentation Low-level Sine Sweep Testing Notching and Force Limiting Test Documentation and Reviews Designing a SmallSat to Pass the Vibration Test Tom Sarafin is President and Chief Engineer of Instar Engineering and Consulting, Inc. He has worked full time in the space industry since 1979 as a structural engineer, a mechanical systems engineer, a project manager, and a consultant. Since founding Instar in 1993, he’s consulted for NASA, DARPA, the DOD Space Test Program, Lockheed Martin, DigitalGlobe (Maxar), Sierra Nevada Corp, Spaceflight Industries, Millennium Space Systems (Boeing), and other organizations. He was a key member of the team that developed NASA-STD-5020, “Requirements for Threaded Fastening Systems in Spaceflight Hardware” (March 2012). He is the editor and principal author of Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms: From Concept to Launch and is a contributing author to Space Mission Analysis and Design. He’s also the principal author of a series of papers titled “Vibration Testing of Small Satellites.” Since 1995, he has taught over 300 courses to more than 6000 engineers and managers in the aerospace industry. REGISTRATION: There is no obligation or payment required to enter the Registration for an actively scheduled course. We understand that you may need approvals but please register as early as possible or contact us so we know of your interest in this course offering. SCHEDULING: If this course is not on the current schedule of open enrollment courses and you are interested in attending this or another course as an open enrollment, please contact us at (410)956-8805 or [email protected]. Please indicate the course name, number of students who wish to participate. and a preferred time frame. ATI typically schedules open enrollment courses with a 3-5 month lead-time. To express your interest in an open enrollment course not on our current schedule, please email us at [email protected]. For on-site pricing, you can use the request an on-site quote form, call us at (410)956-8805, or email us at [email protected]. We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Manage your cookie preferences below: Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website. These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website. These cookies are used for managing login functionality on this website. Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions. Service URL: policies.google.com (opens in a new window) Vimeo is a video hosting platform for high-quality content, ideal for creators and businesses to showcase their work. Service URL: vimeo.com (opens in a new window) You can find more information in our Cookie Policy and .