Abstract: Eddy current damping technology, with its inherent advantages of being fluid-free, non-contact, and maintenance-free, demonstrates significant engineering potential in high-dynamic spacecraft deployment mechanisms and vibration control for deep-space exploration platforms. This research delineates the fundamental architectures and promising applications of both rotary and linear eddy current dampers (ECDs), offering an analytical summary of the damping characteristics of permanent magnet and electromagnetic field-sourced variants. Moreover, to achieve high energy dissipation density and overcome the limitations imposed by critical speed, advanced techniques—such as parameter optimization, the incorporation of copper-iron alloy conductors, and the integration of multiple constitutive curves—are employed to establish robust design theories and validate them experimentally. Building on these findings, the study further investigates applications in landing buffer systems, rocket grid fins, arresting cables, and lunar rover suspensions, while critically examining the progress and emerging trends of eddy current damping technology in the aerospace sector.

Key words: eddy curren damper, aerospace, rocket recovery, energy dissipation density, critical speed