Transformer Architecture for Micromotion Target Detection Based on Multi-Scale Subaperture Coherent Integration

In recent years, long-time coherent integration techniques have gained significant attention in maneuvering target detection due to their ability to effectively enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and improve detection performance. However, for space targets, challenges such as micromotion phenomena and complex scattering characteristics make envelope alignment and phase compensation difficult, thereby limiting integration gain. To address these issues, in this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the echo model of cylindrical space targets (CSTs) based on different types of scattering centers. Building on this foundation, the multi-scale subaperture coherent integration Transformer (MsSCIFormer) was proposed, which integrates MsSCI with a Transformer architecture to achieve precise detection and motion parameter estimation of space targets in low-SNR environments. The core of the method lies in the introduction of a convolutional neural network (CNN) feature extractor and a dual-attention mechanism, covering both intra-subaperture attention (Intra-SA) and inter-subaperture attention (Inter-SA). This design efficiently captures the spatial distribution and motion patterns of the scattering centers of space targets. By aggregating multi-scale features, MsSCIFormer significantly enhances the detection performance and improves the accuracy of motion parameter estimation. Simulation experiments demonstrated that MsSCIFormer outperforms traditional moving target detection (MTD) methods and other deep learning-based algorithms in both detection and estimation tasks. Furthermore, each module proposed in this study was proven to contribute positively to the overall performance of the network.