science

Harmony (satellite)

Harmony (satellite) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Harmony (satellite) rather than just read about it. In short: Harmony is a European Earth observing satellite mission projected to launch in 2029 or 2030. The mission concept, belonging to the ESA's FutureEO programme, comprises two identical satellites that will fly in formation with a Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite.

Key takeaways

Harmony (satellite) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Harmony (satellite) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Harmony (satellite) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Harmony is a European Earth observing satellite mission projected to launch in 2029 or 2030. The mission concept, belonging to the ESA's FutureEO programme, comprises two identical satellites that will fly in formation with a Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite. Paco López-Dekker from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands is the Lead Investigator of the mission. Florence Hélière is the Project Manager.

Objectives Over land, the mission will measure small shifts in the shape of the land surface connected with volcanism and earthquakes; it will also study the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets. Over the ocean, it will measure surface wind, waves, currents, as well as cloud movements and sea-surface temperature differences.

Instruments Both Harmony satellites will carry a receive-only synthetic aperture radar (intended to work together with Sentinel-1's radar) and a multibeam thermal-infrared instrument. Throughout the life of the mission, the Harmony satellites will be flying either in interferometric or in stereo configurations.

History In September 2018, Harmony (then named "Stereoid") was selected as one of three concepts to compete for the tenth Earth Explorer mission. In February 2021, Harmony was chosen to be ESA's tenth Earth Explorer mission. In March 2022, the mission concept was tested using two aircraft flying in formation over the Dutch Wadden Islands. In September 2022, ESA Member States formally selected Harmony for implementation. In October 2024, ESA has awarded a contract (over €280 million) to OHB to build the satellites as prime contractor. In November 2024, OHB has selected ABB to provide thermal infrared imaging instruments for the two satellites. In June 2025, ESA announced that the mission’s baseline launch vehicle was Vega C Block 2 (with P160C booster upgrade). However, in May 2026, ESA was considering moving the launch to Ariane 62 and potentially early 2030.

See also List of European Space Agency programmes and missions List of Earth observation satellites

Links Flyer: Bringing Harmony to a dynamic world Earth Explorer 10 Candidate Mission Harmony: Report for Mission Selection Harmony satellites (image) Harmony mission patch (image)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Harmony (satellite)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Harmony (satellite) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Harmony (satellite) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Harmony (satellite) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Harmony (satellite)

In research: Harmony (satellite) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Harmony (satellite) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Harmony (satellite) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2029 in spaceflight, Earth observation satellites of the European Space Agency, FutureEO, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Harmony (satellite) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Harmony (satellite) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Harmony (satellite) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Harmony (satellite) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Harmony (satellite) in simple terms?

Why does Harmony (satellite) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Harmony (satellite)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Harmony (satellite).