An ice ball launcher simulates the impact of a storm-generated hailstone falling onto a test specimen or structural component exhibit such as a roofing shingle, skylight, automobile panel, aircraft fuselage panel, aircraft wing panel and the like. The launcher includes a tripod base, a rail, a sled, an ice ball holder cup, a manually operable trigger latch assembly, an elastic band and a laser beam aiming device. The ice ball launcher consistently and repeatably projects ice balls at a predetermined velocity and impact energy onto the component sample. The velocity of each ice ball is measured as it transits from the ice ball launcher to the installation mockup, verifying that the ice ball velocity is within a predetermined velocity tolerance range. The measured velocity and known mass of the ice ball are used to calculate the kinetic impact energy on the component sample material, and to determine whether the calculated impact energy is within a predetermined impact energy tolerance range.