The intended users of the Mechanical shock design and verification handbook are engineers involved in design, analysis and verification in relation to shock environment in spacecraft. The current know-how relevant to mechanical shock design and verification is documented in this handbook in order to make this expertise available to all European spacecraft and payload developers. The handbook provides adequate guidelines for shock design and verification; therefore it includes advisory information, recommendations and good practices, rather than requirements. The handbook covers the shock in its globally, from the derivation of shock input to equipment and sub-systems inside a satellite structure, until its verification to ensure a successful qualification, and including its consequences on equipment and sub-systems. However the following aspects are not treated herein: " No internal launcher shock is treated in the frame of this handbook even if some aspects are common to those presented hereafter. They are just considered as a shock source (after propagation in the launcher structure) at launcher/spacecraft interface. " Shocks due to fall of structure or equipment are not taken into account as they are not in the frame of normal development of a spacecraft.