A spring-based deployment system deploys a mass at a limited velocity. Using techniques common to the art of timepieces, the motion of a gear, like the rotation of a clock's second hand, is controlled to occur at a substantially constant rate. In a preferred embodiment, an escapement is used to limit the amount of motion per unit time, thereby limiting the velocity. During the period of motion, a high-force can be applied to overcome friction and other adverse affects. Because the amount of motion is limited by the escapement, the amount of kinetic energy produced by this high-force is limited, and thus the shock effects introduced when the deployed mass is stopped at its deployed state are limited. An optimized design can by achieved via an appropriate tradeoff between total deployment time and controlled deployment rate.