Research and Experiment of Time-Delay Correction Approach Based on Remote Multi-Antenna Arraying

Abstract

In very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) system, remote multi-antenna arraying technique can be on the basis of the existing antenna facility and give full play to the overall efficiency of resources and infrastructure, which can expand the TT&C communication distance, and provide the TT&C communication service for China's future deep-space exploration mission, and will have a special application prospect. Firstly, we describe the features of remote multi-antenna arraying, and then study on the time-delay correction approach between key stations, using "Chang'e-3" downlink data to carry out the technological experiment. With this technique we get the precise time-delay difference values between Kashi, Qingdao, Beijing and Sanya stations, successfully implement baseband compound and symbol stream compound of the four stations' signals, and optimize the parameters of the software correlators. This technique has also been applied to process ESA's Venus Express weak signal baseband compound and laid a good engineering application foundation for future deep-space exploration signal compound.

Keywords

antenna arraying / time-delay correction / correlation processing / signal compound