The growing demand for global connectivity, navigation, and climate monitoring has transformed the space sector. Innovations in digitisation, miniaturisation, and reusability, along with regulatory reforms and commercialisation, are driving rapid changes in New Space. As space infrastructure expands and congestion grows, the next evolution lies in integrating heterogeneous spaceborne assets. HARMONY aligns with the 6G vision to merge terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, enabling global, cost-effective coverage and unlocking the potential of space systems for services like Earth observation and navigation. HARMONY seeks to remove barriers between space missions, fostering a sustainable, multi-mission ecosystem. Its two core Innovation Objectives focus on combining wireless connectivity with sensing and imaging and promoting sustainable growth by reducing the environmental footprint of space missions. The project nurtures future leaders while driving the commercial viability of New Space by lowering barriers to entry and operational costs. HARMONY’s research centres on Fractionation, which distributes satellite functions across interconnected modules, and Federation, where satellites dynamically share resources via inter-satellite links. These approaches address bottlenecks in small satellite missions, such as limited processing power and beam capabilities. Combined with software-defined payloads, they enable scalable data processing and improved resolution through distributed antennas. FFSS architectures facilitate gradual deployment, maintenance, and replacement of satellites, significantly reducing environmental impact and costs while advancing space system capabilities. By bridging fractionation and federation, HARMONY provides transformative solutions for the evolving space economy.
