Environmental Test Support

LaFontaine Engineering provides comprehensive environmental test support for aerospace systems, spanning test planning, execution, and post-test correlation. Our approach integrates analytical prediction with practical test engineering to ensure representative loading, hardware protection, and compliance with program and customer requirements.

​

We support pre-test analysis to define test objectives, environments, and success criteria, including analytical predictions, margin assessments, and identification of critical response locations. These analyses are used to establish defensible test levels, notching strategies, and force-limiting thresholds that preserve hardware integrity while maintaining test fidelity.

Our team provides instrumentation selection and placement support to ensure accurate measurement of structural and acoustic responses. This includes accelerometer, force, and acoustic sensor selection; sensor quantity and location optimization; and definition of data-acquisition parameters to capture critical responses and control channels.

​

We develop and implement notching and force-limiting strategies for both sine and random vibration testing, using analytical models, Mass Acceleration Curves, and test-article response characteristics to prevent over-testing while preserving required input energy and frequency content.

LaFontaine Engineering supports a full range of environmental test types, including:

• Sine burst testing for quasi-static load requirements

• Sine vibration testing for modal characterization, low-frequency loads verification, and workmanship screening

• Random vibration testing to represent launch and ascent dynamic environments

• Acoustic testing to simulate liftoff and high-intensity acoustic environments, including chamber testing and response monitoring

 

Throughout testing, we provide real-time technical support, data review, and post-test assessment, including correlation to analytical models and update of flight or qualification environments as required. Our test-support services ensure efficient execution, defensible results, and reduced program risk from development through qualification and acceptance testing.