Air gun array extension and retraction system and method

The invention discloses an air gun array extension and retraction system and method. The air gun array extension and retraction system comprises a telescopic beam crane, a dumping device, a seismic cable winch and a hydraulic station, wherein the telescopic beam crane is used for extending and retracting an air gun array by extending or retracting a container; the dumping device is used for storing the air gun array; the seismic cable winch is used for extending and retracting a seismic cable of the air gun array; the hydraulic station is used for providing a hydraulic source to the telescopic beam crane and the seismic cable winch. By adopting the scheme, the invention provides an extension and retraction system which is compact in structure, reasonable in arrangement and sufficiently utilizes the space of a ship body, for a double-air gun seismic source array.