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The responses of voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) to single-event transients (SETs) are investigated. Laser testing and simulations indicate that ion strikes on critical transistors cause distortions in the oscillating output. The time it takes for the circuit to resume its normal operating condition is limited by the recovery time of the affected transistor(s) and the oscillator startup time. These limits to circuit recovery time are the primary causes of the frequency dependence of SET responses in VCOs.