Abstract: Since the hypersonic vehicle is acted by a serious aerodynamic thermal load caused by the flight through the atmosphere, it is necessary to consider the effect of the high temperature in the ground test of the vehicle structures. But the structural modal experiment in a high temperature environment is far more complex than the normal modal experiment with many technical difficulties to be solved. In this paper, the advance of the thermal modal test technology is reviewed. The characteristics and the applicability of the excitation and measurement techniques to be used in the high temperature environment are discussed in detail. The development direction and the research focus of the structural modal test technology in the high temperature environment are suggested.