Anyone who has seen a rocket launch in person (I have!) has also felt its surreal rumbles from several kilometers away. A spacecraft sitting on top of a rocket needs to avoid damage to its structure by surviving the jolt from rocket engines turning on and the intense vibrations they generate during flight. For this, all spacecraft are tested pre-launch on electric or hydraulic shakers.
The rocket launch shaker test
The rocket launch shaker test
The rocket launch shaker test
Anyone who has seen a rocket launch in person (I have!) has also felt its surreal rumbles from several kilometers away. A spacecraft sitting on top of a rocket needs to avoid damage to its structure by surviving the jolt from rocket engines turning on and the intense vibrations they generate during flight. For this, all spacecraft are tested pre-launch on electric or hydraulic shakers.