How well will a car or truck hold up to road conditions over the course of many years? To test their designs, automakers often use shaker tables, which deliver powerful vibrations to cars and trucks to simulate real-world wear and tear. A shaker table commonly used in the auto industry was initially developed to test spacecraft for NASA, including the oldest satellite still orbiting Earth!
In the early days of the aerospace industry, certain aspects of the spacecraft development process remained fairly primitive, including testing components for launch readiness. Engineers recognized the need for better pre-flight testing and eventually turned to shaker tables: large structures that can deliver powerful vibrations equivalent to those experienced on a rocket. Shaker tables ensure that a satellite and its components will survive launch and make it to orbit in one piece.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts vibration testing within your city's automotive environment!