Abstract: Aiming at the demand of more accurate interferometry in the following deep space exploration, a novel interferometry scheme based on signal combination is proposed and analyzed. By studying the mainstream signal combination algorithms, an improved Sumple algorithm based on phase comprehension is put forward. This algorithm is more efficient than the original Sumple algorithm, and moreover its combined signal has the same phase performance as that of the reference signal, which is the premise of antenna array technique used for interferometry. Finally, tests are conducted by using phased array data and simulated DOR signal data. The processing results show that the signal combination improves the delay estimation accuracy of interferometry, and is of special meaning in deep space exploration.

Key words: interferometry, signal combination, Sumple algorithm, phase performance, delay estimation;phase comprehension, deep space exploration