Metals commonly used in springs (e.g. high strength steel, aluminum and beryllium copper alloys) have been utilized in deformable aerospace structures for several decades with considerable success.
[1] They continue to be used in the majority of high strain deployable structure applications and excel where the greatest compaction ratios and electrical conductivity are required.
Today HSCs are used in a variety of niche aerospace applications, mostly in areas where extreme precision and low mass are required.
In early 2014 the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Spacecraft Structures Technical Committee recognized that the level of active research and development in High Strain Composites warranted an independent focus group[2] to distinguish high strain composites as a technical area with uniquely identifiable challenges, technologies, mechanics, test methods, and applications.
The use of high strain deployable structures dates back to the pioneering days of space exploration and has played a crucial role in enabling a robust spacefaring industry.