Abstract <p>The paper considers the problems of experimental development of rocket technology elements with disposable and expensive housing elements. To improve the cost-effectiveness of ground-based experimental testing, a non-destructive testing method based on the relationship between radial stiffness and axial compressive force is proposed. An experimental test bench was developed to study the dependence of cylindrical shells radial stiffness on the level of compressive force. Based on the analysis of experimental data, the characteristics of the relationship between radial stiffness and compressive force level were identified, and a comparison was made between actual failure loads and predicted ones.</p>