In this paper, a method of using a root hinge drive assembly (RHDA) to control the solar array deployment is provided and a multi-DOF mechanism dynamic model of the system is established. In this way, the root hinge torque can be calculated iteratively. Then taking the predicted torque as a reference, a RHDA is designed for a large multiple-stage packaging and deployable solar array system. The control effect of the drive assembly is validated by ground tests. The test results indicate that the solar arrays can be deployed smoothly, and the deployment velocities are restricted by the drive assembly as expected. During the tests, the RHDA output speed and output torque are obtained. In order to examine the impact force when the yoke is lock-up with a hard stop, dynamics simulations are performed according to the actual behavior. The simulation result indicates that the designed RHDA reduces the impact force significantly and improves the lock-up reliability effectively.
