Review on Impact Loads for Launch Vehicles and Offshore Launch Platform Dynamic Characteristics

Offshore rocket launches offer advantages such as unrestricted launch locations, convenient recovery, large effective payload capacity, and long satellite service life. However, due to the complex marine environment, variations in wind, waves, and currents significantly impact the dynamic performance of the launch platform. The study of rocket plume impact on platforms and the influence of wind, waves, and currents on their dynamic performance, as well as corresponding optimization measures, is of critical importance. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the dynamic issues concerning offshore launch platforms, covering theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and experimental research. Firstly, the research on rocket plume impact loads is introduced. Subsequently, the research achievements in the hydrodynamic performance, structural dynamics, and motion prediction of launch platforms are summarized. On this basis, recent performance optimization methods for launch platforms are presented. Finally, unresolved issues and future research directions are highlighted. The aim is to offer valuable insights for further advancements in offshore rocket launches.