This thesis contains the theoretical and experimental study useful for design and operation of a shock tube. It includes the preliminary study for optical measurement called holographic interferometry to visualize the flow of the shock tube. The principles and applications of holographic interferometry and the method of analysing the holographic interferogram are investigated. Also investigated is the shock wave generation part using the pre-mixed hydrogen-oxygen gas. The effect of mole fraction and initial pressure to the final shock wave strength is analyzed. The experiment to generate the more stable and high quality shock wave for lower shock strength, moving shock Mach number range 1.0~2.0, has been also preformed.