With the continuous development of space technology，such as earth remote sensing of and deep space exploration，the space structure is becoming more and more large and complex，resulting in higher requirements for the lightweight，high stiffness，high precision，high stability，and high deployment ratio of space deployable mechanisms.The space spiral deployable mechanism mainly includes the spiral tube and actuator for controlled extension and retraction （STACER） and the coilable mast.The STACER has the advantages such as small volume，lightweight，and self-driven，and the coilable mast has the advantages such as high stiffness and lightweight.As a class of deployable mechanisms，the space spiral deployable mechanism is the basis for the construction of large and complex space structures，and is currently a hot topic of research and application at home and abroad.The working principle，research progress，and application of the space spiral deployable mechanism，as the research object，are investigated and elaborated，and the research and application progress of space spiral deployable mechanisms at home and abroad is summarized.