Abstract
This paper presents the membrane construction and the evaluation of the structural characteristics of the rigidizable membrane for space inflatable structures. The single-layer triaxial woven fabric composite is proposed to the rigidizable membrane because of its quasi-isotropic characteristics in just one layer. To maintain the dimensional stability of a single rigidizing layer, a triaxial woven fabric composite with low fabric construction was developed. We compare the structural characteristics of inflatable tubes constructed with the proposed membrane and an existing membrane using biaxial woven fabric composite. The inflatable structure that uses the proposed triaxial woven fabric is lightweight and offers excellent foldability and durability. Rigidizing test using a 2.1 m diameter inflatable torus was conducted to confirm the complete rigidization of the proposed rigidizable membrane.
