Acoustic Research Systems at ECSSMET 2026 in Braunschweig, Germany

Acoustic Research Systems (ARS) attended the European Conference on Spacecraft Structures, Materials and Environmental Testing (ECSSMET 2026), held September 21–25, 2026, at the Steigenberger Parkhotel in Braunschweig, Germany.

Co-organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the French space agency CNES, the conference brought together scientists, researchers, and engineers involved in spacecraft development and verification. Presentations, discussions, workshops, and an industry exhibition provided opportunities to share practical experience across structures, materials, manufacturing, and environmental testing.

The conference provided an important forum for sharing technical knowledge and practical experience across disciplines.

ARS Contributions at ECSSMET 2026

ARS contributed to presentations on direct-field acoustic noise (DFAN) testing, modal survey testing, acoustic control, and environmental test facility development. Dale Schick also joined a panel discussion on acoustic testing and DFAN.

1. Satellite Modal Survey Testing with a DFAN Setup: Comparing Acoustic and Shaker Excitation

Presented by Fabio Cavagna with co-authors including Bart Peeters, Umberto Musella, and Chris Sensor of Siemens; Kevin Napolitano of ATA Engineering; and Dale Schick and Ed Heyd of ARS.

Tuesday, September 22, at 08:30.

The presentation compared acoustic and shaker excitation approaches for satellite modal survey testing, examining the use of a DFAN setup for structural modal characterization.

Fabio also presented “Decoupling Spacecraft Dynamics from Shaker Table Interactions for Fixed-Base Modal Characterization,” with contributions from ARS and ATA Engineering, on Wednesday, September 23, from 14:00–14:30.

2. A Multi-SISO Fractional Octave Control Architecture for Direct Field Acoustic Noise Testing

Presented by Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Schwarzendahl, m+p international. Co-authors included Dale Schick and Geoff Eckert of ARS and Ed Kinsella of EM Acoustics.

Tuesday, September 22, at 09:30.

The presentation examined a multi-SISO fractional-octave control architecture developed for direct-field acoustic noise testing.

3. Integrating DFAN and Vibration Testing in a Shared Facility: Engineering Solutions for RAL Space’s New Environmental Test Center

Presented by Charly Knight, RAL Space. Co-authored with contributions from Cassandra Dutt, ARS.

Tuesday, September 22, at 15:00.

The presentation explored engineering solutions supporting the integration of DFAN and vibration testing capabilities within RAL Space’s new shared environmental test facility.

4. Case Study of a Large-Scale DFAN Test: Part Two

Co-presented by Daniel Hayes, ARS, and Kaileah Blazek-Freeman, Lockheed Martin.

Tuesday, September 22, at 15:30.

The case study shared lessons learned from direct-field acoustic testing of flight development hardware supporting NASA’s Artemis program.

5. Workshop: Acoustic Testing and DFAN

Dale Schick, ARS, joined the workshop panel.

Wednesday, September 23, from 14:00–16:00.

The workshop brought participants together for a discussion of acoustic testing and DFAN.

ARS valued the opportunity to present its work, collaborate with partners, and exchange practical experience with the international spacecraft testing community in Braunschweig.