Project description
The next era of multi-function satellites
Satellite systems are essential for bridging the digital divide and ensuring resilient global coverage, reaching oceans, deserts, disaster zones, and remote regions that terrestrial networks cannot. However, today’s satellite architectures are fragmented across separate constellations for communications, sensing, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), leading to inefficiencies in cost, spectrum use, and orbital sustainability. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the HARMONI-CSP project will address this challenge by developing multi-function satellite systems that integrate these capabilities into unified platforms using software-defined payloads, reconfigurable RF components, and novel waveform and beamforming techniques across different levels of integration. Overall, the project will help strengthen Europe’s leadership in next-generation non-terrestrial networks and 6G connectivity.
Objective
Terrestrial networks are advancing rapidly, but cannot ensure seamless global coverage, leaving oceans, deserts, disaster zones, and remote regions underserved. Satellites are therefore indispensable for bridging the digital divide and providing resilient connectivity where ground infrastructure is absent or vulnerable. Yet current satellite systems operate in silos, with communications, sensing, and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) delivered by separate constellations. This fragmentation wastes spectral and orbital resources, duplicates hardware, inflates deployment and operational costs, and increases orbital congestion and debris, while also preventing service synergies—for example, communication links cannot aid distributed sensing, nor can sensing data enhance navigation.
HARMONI-CSP (Highly Advanced and Resilient Multi-functiON SatellIte systems for Communication, Sensing and Positioning) pioneers Multi-Function Satellite Systems (MFSS), integrating communications, sensing, and PNT within unified platforms. Leveraging software-defined payloads and wideband reconfigurable RF components, the project investigates three integration levels: cooperative (shared hardware), integrated (shared hardware and spectrum), and joint (shared hardware, spectrum, and waveforms).
The project establishes MFSS foundations by assessing mission feasibility to quantify reductions in satellite launches and costs, developing models for inter-service interference and coexistence, and designing joint waveform and beamforming techniques validated via high-fidelity simulations. These advances will enable a sustainable satellite ecosystem that enhances spectral and energy efficiency, reduces CAPEX/OPEX, and mitigates debris risks. Beyond efficiency, MFSS unlocks cross-domain synergies—e.g. radar improving positioning or communications supporting distributed sensing—opening new space-enabled services. HARMONI-CSP will strengthen European leadership in 6G non-terrestrial networks.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering ecosystem-based management climatic change mitigation
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering analogue electronics
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering satellite technology
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications radio technology radar
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
412 96 Goteborg
Sweden
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