HARMONI-CSP · Highly Advanced and Resilient MultifunctiON satellIte systems for Communication, Sensing and Positioning

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.