Direct Field Acoustic Testing (DFAT) continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in spacecraft vibro-acoustic testing — from high-fidelity digital twins to novel test configurations that challenge decades-old assumptions.
We're excited to share an exciting recent spacecraft launch and four new papers from our team and collaborators, covering everything from simulation validation to stacked-structure testing to directional acoustic excitation.
Interested in the full papers? Reach out to us at info@msidfat.com and we'll be happy to send them your way.
But first...
Roman Space Telescope Launch Recap & Acoustic Environments Testing
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off on August 30, 2026, at 7:26 a.m. ET (11:26 UTC) aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, headed for a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point roughly 1.5 million km from Earth. Roman carries the Wide Field Instrument (a 300.8-megapixel visible/near-infrared camera) and the Coronagraph Instrument, and is expected to return its first images in early 2027.
Before Roman ever reached the launch pad, both of its major hardware elements passed through MSI DFAT's acoustic qualification testing — here's a recap of our work.
Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) DFAT — L3Harris, Rochester, NY
During the week of June 9, 2024, MSI DFAT Services conducted an extensive Direct Field Acoustic Test (DFAT®) of Roman's Optical Telescope Assembly at the L3Harris facility in Rochester, New York — verifying the OTA's structural integrity under simulated rocket launch conditions.
The test was performed directly on-site in L3Harris's high-bay facility — no reverberant chamber required. Because COTS loudspeakers aren't tuned for the frequency ranges and decibel levels needed to simulate a real launch, MSI DFAT brought its own custom-built MP-21 and MP-150 Noise Generation Systems. The result: a 24-foot-tall acoustic test setup with 72 subwoofers and 108 mid-to-high frequency speakers, generating over 139.3 dB for 60 seconds — with real-time MIMO acoustic control from Siemens Digital Industries Software and data processing via Siemens Simcenter™ Testlab™.
The test confirmed the OTA could withstand simulated launch conditions without significant structural stress or resonant frequencies threatening its functionality — one more step toward certifying Roman for launch readiness.
MSI DFAT Services Direct Field Acoustic Test on the Roman Space Telescope. Credit: L3Harris, Rochester, NY (2024).
Wide Field Instrument (WFI) — Ball Aerospace (BAE Systems)
Before the OTA acoustic testing at L3Harris, MSI DFAT Services also performed Direct Field Acoustic Testing on Roman's Wide Field Instrument at the BAE Space & Mission Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace) facility — putting the 300.8-megapixel imager through the same rigorous acoustic qualification process ahead of launch.
MSI DFAT Services Direct Field Acoustic Test on the Roman Space Telescope. Credit: BAE SMS, Colorado (2024).
Two flight-critical instruments, two facilities, one shared outcome: both passed acoustic qualification and are now on their way to the Sun-Earth L2 point aboard Roman.
Congratulations to everyone across NASA, L3Harris, Ball Aerospace, and our own team
who made it happen.
Four New Papers from MSI DFAT: Advancing the Science of Direct Field Acoustic Testing
Now back to our recent research highlights...
Towards a True Digital Twin: Validation of a High-Fidelity Numerical Model of a Direct Field Acoustic Test
D. von Werne, A. Garcia de Miguel, U. Musella (Siemens Digital Industries Software); A. Carrella, A. O'Malley (MSI-DFAT Services)
DFAT or DFAN testing has become the go-to method for environmental acoustic qualification of space hardware, offering real advantages in cost, schedule, and risk over traditional reverberant chamber testing. But how do you know a proposed DFAT setup will actually meet the reference profile — before you ever step into the test facility?
This paper introduces a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Finite Element Method (FEM) solver capable of simulating the acoustic field generated by a loudspeaker array. A dedicated experimental test campaign validated the model against measured transfer functions, spatial sound pressure level distributions, and structural acceleration responses across multiple test configurations. The result: a digital twin that goes beyond the 20–30 microphones typically used in a test, predicting the acoustic field at hundreds of points — giving test engineers a practical way to optimize DFAT system design before test execution.
Evaluating the Effect of Stacked Structures on Their Vibroacoustic Response During Acoustic Testing Using DFAT
Xander O'Malley (MSI-DFAT Services LLC)
As spacecraft constellations drive demand for high-volume production, testing throughput matters more than ever. Instead of running N acoustic tests on N articles, could a single test on N stacked articles do the job — saving the cost of N-1 tests?
This study puts that question to the test using three equal prisms as simplified spacecraft models, tested singly and in stacked configurations of two and three units. Experimental modal testing and DFAT vibro-acoustic testing were performed and compared across all configurations, with results used to tune modal and vibroacoustic models of the stacked system. The central question: does the vibroacoustic excitation experienced by a single unit stay representative when units are stacked together — and what role does the stacking structure itself play in altering acoustic loading and structural response?
Using DFAT for Diffuse and Non-Diffuse Acoustic Excitation
X. O'Malley, A. Carrella (MSI-DFAT Services LLC)
Acoustic qualification of space hardware rests on an assumption rarely stated out loud: that the sound field a spacecraft experiences at launch is diffuse. Reverberant chambers were built around that assumption — but the literature has questioned it for twenty-five years, arguing that a reverberant test is itself an inexact representation of the real flight environment.
This paper shows that a DFAT system with a centralized MIMO-controller can produce either field, by choice. The first configuration targets the conventional quasi-diffuse, spatially uniform field comparable to a reverberant chamber — validating that the system meets the accepted standard. The second drives the same array to produce a deliberately directional field, with target spectra varying by azimuth — reflecting the real, non-axisymmetric acoustic loading a fairing experiences from strap-on boosters, plume impingement, and pad reflections. The paper reports data from a recent Factory Acceptance Test where the customer required a demonstration of both control methodologies.
On the Effect of a Panel Inclination During a Direct Field Acoustic Test
G. Diodati, C. Carandante Tartaglia, M. Divice, V. Quaranta, A. Carrella
Solar panels and similar test articles are often mounted on tilted support structures — and that inclination can affect both the acoustic excitation field and the structural response during DFAT. For large panels, inclination also constrains the maximum loudspeaker array height available for the test, making this a critical consideration for test planning.
This paper investigates panel inclination effects by testing a rectangular panel at several angles, characterizing the structural response at each with two independent methods: a hammer impact test (reference for intrinsic dynamic behavior) and DFAT excitation via a controlled loudspeaker array. Comparing the two at identical inclination angles allows the effects of inclination on boundary conditions and modal characteristics to be decoupled from its effects on the spatial distribution and coherence of the acoustic field itself. The results, presented as frequency response functions and spatially averaged acceleration spectra, offer practical guidance for planning DFAT campaigns with non-horizontal test articles.
Upcoming Conferences in 2026
We'll be presenting our latest work and connecting with the community at several conferences for the remainder of the year:
The European Conference on Spacecraft Structures, Materials, and Environmental Testing is a biennial conference, organized under the sponsorship of ESA (European Space Agency) and typically held in partnership with organizations like CNES, that brings together engineers and researchers from across the European (and international) space industry. Join MSI DFAT from September 21 to 25 in Braunschweig, Germany to explore:
Spacecraft structural design, analysis, and verification
Materials and mechanical testing for space applications
Environmental testing — including vibration, acoustic, thermal, and shock qualification (this is where DFAT-related work fits in)
Structural dynamics, modeling, and simulation
Lessons learned from flight hardware and test campaigns
In Antalya, Turkey, from October 5-9 2026, MSI DFAT will be co-sharing a booth with Belgium Space, alongside representation from Thales Alenia Space, Flanders Space, Redwire, and others. Stop by the Begium Pavilion and say hi!
In Annapolis, MD from November 16-19 MSI DFAT will be exhibiting and presenting content. Find us at booth #6!
We'd love to connect — stop by, say hello, and talk shop.
And as always, reach out to info@msidfat.com if you're launching things into space!
