Method for packing and unpacking a spacecraft membrane, spacecraft membrane package and spacecraft membrane handling unit

Abstract

In a method for packing a spacecraft membrane () which in a plane of extension comprises a longitudinal axis between opposite longitudinal corners () and a transverse axis running transverse to the longitudinal axis and through transverse corners into a spacecraft membrane package, two packing steps are executed: In a first packing step, the spacecraft membrane () is packed into a transverse package () along the transverse axis. In a second packing step, the transverse package () is packed into a longitudinal package along a longitudinal axis. The packing of the spacecraft membrane () in the first packing step comprises a packing of material of the spacecraft membrane () from or on both sides of the longitudinal axis. In the first packing step, the spacecraft membrane () is packed in such a way that in the created transverse package () the transverse corners are freely accessible. In the second packing step, the transverse package () is packed in such a way that in the created longitudinal package the longitudinal corners () are freely accessible. The longitudinal package is unpacked by pulling on the longitudinal corners (). Subsequently, the transverse package () is unpacked by pulling on the transverse corners.