Space-Based Radio Interferometer Using Small Satellites

Radio Interferometry is a powerful technique utilized in radio astronomy for mapping radio emissions of celestial sources [2].However, an important aspect of any image is the angular resolution, which in ground-based radio interferometry is limited by the diameter of the earth [1,3,4].This limitation can be overcome if we place the radio telescopes on satellites orbiting in space [1,3].This extension of radio interferometry to space is known as Space-based Very Long Baseline Interferometry (SVLBI).It utilizes multiple radio telescopes attached to satellites for doing radio interferometry, allowing for unprecedented resolution and sensitivity and pushing the boundaries of astronomical exploration by enabling us to probe the yet unexplored very low-frequency domain of the cosmos.Designing an optimal satellite constellation for SVLBI is, however, challenging due to the need for comprehensive (u,v) coverage, which determines the spatial information captured by the interferometer.