This paper presents a novel two-dimensional deployable planar antenna mechanism that targets the key challenges of large-aperture space structures, with an emphasis on improving stiffness and deployment reliability. Building on thick-panel origami theory, we develop a modular architecture that can be seamlessly scaled up to a 4 × 5 array while preserving consistent kinematic compatibility across modules. The central idea is to formulate folding/deployment paths as Hamiltonian circuits on a grid graph, which enables systematic generation and evaluation of candidate topologies. By enforcing a closed-loop (circuit) constraint, the resulting layouts provide continuous load-transfer paths and mitigate local compliance that commonly arises in open-chain designs. To validate the proposed concept, high-fidelity multibody dynamics models are implemented in the MuJoCo engine to assess deployment stability, convergence to the fully deployed state, and envelope efficiency. Simulation results demonstrate smooth, repeatable deployment without excessive oscillation, and confirm that the optimized closed-loop configuration maintains compact packaging while achieving markedly higher structural rigidity. In particular, modal analysis shows that the fundamental frequency of the optimized closed-loop topology is substantially higher than that of representative open-loop configurations., indicating a substantial improvement in global stiffness. Overall, the Hamiltonian-circuit-based design framework provides an effective and scalable route to robust, high-stiffness planar deployable antennas for next-generation large-scale space platforms.
Qian et al. (Sun,) studied this question.