Reusable launch vehicle is one of the key goals for the development of space transportation systems. Mechanism technology is an important support for the multifunctional and reusable development of launch vehicles， and its damping and buffering functions have a wide demand for damping mechanisms.Eddy current damper is a non-contact damping generation method base on the eddy current principle， which has the advantage such as no wear， no leakage， stable performance， high reliability， good maintenance， and easy long-term storage. And it is a velocity type damping mechanism based on the principle of eddy current damping， which wildly used in vehicle breaking，building damping and other engineering fields. The basic principle of permanent magnet eddy current dampers is elaborated， which are classified into linear type， axial rotational type and radial rotational type， and the types of materials used are analyzed. The requirements of damping mechanisms for reusable launch vehicles in terms of deployment buffering， vibration suppression， impact buffering， and active control are elaborated.The application status and development prospect of eddy current damping technology in the field of launch vehicle mechanism design are analyzed.