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Use a two-element radio interferometer: couple two small dishes coherently and align the projected baseline along the angular separation of the neighbouring satellites. Each dish's broad antenna response should include both satellites. Match the electronic delays so that the desired satellite arrives in phase at the combiner. For baseline length $b$ perpendicular to the central line of sight, a small angular displacement $\theta$ produces geometric path difference $b\sin \theta$ and phase differenceFor equal signal amplitudes from one source, the output wave intensity is $4I_0{\cos }^2(\varphi /2)$. Put one satellite on a maximum and its neighbour on the first null: $\varphi ({\theta }_R)=\pi$. The smallest useful projected baseline is thereforeThe angles here are measured near the normal to the baseline. At a general pointing angle ${\theta }_0$, replace $b$ in the small-separation estimate by $b\cos {\theta }_0$. Longer odd-half-fringe baselines can also null the neighbour but create more angular ambiguity. This arrangement provides discrimination along one direction; two collectors alone have repeated interference fringes and do not produce an unambiguous full image.

A two-element radio interferometer coherently combines signals from two receiving antennas. With equal single-arm wave intensity $I_0$, projected baseline $b$, free-space wavelength $\lambda$ and imposed phase difference $\delta$, its directional response is the displayed formula. It follows by adding the two complex amplitudes and taking the squared modulus. Near the normal to the baseline, the first null is $\lambda /(2b)$ from a maximum. This narrow response repeats in interference fringes, so a long baseline alone does not give an unambiguous image.