The experimental research on the dynamic response of aero-engine rotor under sudden impact load was carried out by using high-speed motor drive on the vibration table. Rotor dynamic response tests under different characteristic speeds, load sizes, impact directions, and pulse widths were completed, revealing the general rules of rotor dynamic response under sudden impact loads. The results show that the dynamic response of the rotor increases instantly and then returns to a stable state when under instantaneous impact, and it increases with the increase of the sudden impact load. Besides, the vertical dynamic response of the rotor is greater than the horizontal dynamic response, and the vertical response of the same measurement section is 4% to 46.15% greater than the horizontal response under various operating conditions. In addition, the dynamic response of the rotor under axial foundation impact is greater than that under vertical foundation impact. Within a certain range, as the pulse width of the impact load increases from 6ms to 11ms, the dynamic response of the rotor decreases by 2.5%~10%. The study provides a reference for the vibration response analysis of aero-engine rotors under sudden impact loads and the structural safety design of aero-engine, which has important engineering application value.