Terrestrial demands on space missions are increasing rapidly in terms of complexity, technology and velocity. Next to navigation (GPS, GALILEO), science (investigation of space and the universe) and exploration (ISS, Mars), two types of space missions are very important for Europe: Earth Observation (EO, for the sustainability of nature and mankind) and Telecommunication (TC, for business and global connectivity). Each mission requires partly unique technologies, which are produced by only very few global suppliers. If these technologies are not available from within Europe, there is a danger that non-dependent missions may not be performed, created and tailored with a consequent loss of sovereignty in political decisions and a loss of market shares. One of these so-called “Critical Technologies” is the “Large Deployable Reflector (LDR)”. Packed in stowed configurations, these reflectors can be accommodated on satellites, which then still comply with the limited launcher fairing volumes. By enlarging the size of the reflector it is possible to offer higher sensitivity and resolution, e.g. for radar missions (EO & science) and implement stronger communication links for e.g. higher data throughput (TC). Within the upcoming eight years the demand for such reflectors will increase worldwide, whereas the Consortium targets a certain market share with its “Large European Antenna (LEA)”. The proposed H2020 project would now enable the combination of the technologies previously developed by the consortium members and the joining of further European entities to fill the remaining gaps and form one strong and complete European team. Through obtaining an EC-grant for LEA, each building block will be upgraded with innovation, adapted to a scenario and qualified to meet one common target, namely: 1st European PFM (including reflector and arm) reaching TRL 8 to be ready for integration by the end of 2020 and for flight in 2021.

Radio signals are core to space systems and services; they are the backbone of satellite broadcasting & communications and further represent the primary underpinning technology of the nearly ubiquitous space-based radio navigation services as well as a large number of Earth observation instruments. Radio technologies are therefore central in defining the investment return for a wide range of missions and reflect to a significant fraction of the combined space and ground segment infrastructure. As the frightening rates of concurrent advances in space-related services, business models and technologies are driving the space ecosystem to a new age, the need to re-invent radio technologies for space is becoming increasingly urgent; while the sector is proactively looking for the next game changer, a whole new class of emerging and forecasted missions place urgent demands for drastic reduction in cost with a concurrent radical improvement in throughput, agility, volume/mass and power consumption. This paradigm shift dictates an acute need of highly trained researchers and engineers with a broad set of skills and abilities that extend across and beyond conventional boundaries, enabling them to re-think current approaches and pioneer fresh concepts and radio technologies for space. Recognising this urgent need, REVOLVE brings together a world-leading consortium of 4 industrial and 2 academic beneficiaries aiming to challenge conventional practice in a training network formed around the following five pillars; P1: excellent science & engineering; P2: cross-fertilisation within and between sectors and technologies; P3: application-focused R&D; P4: innovation-centred training, and; P5: promote career acceleration and fulfil personal potential.

Major developments in small satellite technologies coupled with the rapid commercialisation of New Space are disrupting the space landscape. A driving role rests with the telecommunication vertical, where market demands for global connectivity led to the emergence of LEO and MEO mega-constellation and are accelerating efforts for the integration of non-terrestrial with terrestrial networks. Core to this vision is an architectural paradigm shift from large monolithic satellites to an orchestrated network of multi-orbit spaceborne nodes of various sizes and capabilities. On the other hand, space missions traditionally dominated by governmental initiatives - such as Navigation (GNSS) and Earth observation (EO) - are slower in adopting the New Space spirit towards coordination and synergetic exploitation of emerging and established satellite systems. Yet these systems have had transformative impact on our daily lives along a plethora of applications and verticals. Anticipating the next New Space frontiers in commercially driven missions within these domains, a central view of HARMONY is that step change potential will be released by adopting distributed satellite architectures across a range of existing and new applications where the space environment provides unique benefits. Placing innovative space services at its core, HARMONY will adopt a cross-disciplinary & vertically integrated approach in the study of federated and fractionated satellite system architectures and the development of core underpinning technologies in a doctoral network that will nurture future European New Space leaders.