IDE Leads ESA Project to Develop Advanced 6G NTN Waveforms
Greek defence and aerospace technology company IDE has announced the kick-off of STARWAVE-6G, a European Space Agency-backed project focused on developing and validating next-generation radio waveforms for 6G non-terrestrial networks.
The project, formally known as Systems Testbed for Advanced Radio Waveforms – 6G, is supported through ESA’s ARTES programme and will investigate technologies that could improve the efficiency, reliability and performance of future satellite communications systems.
STARWAVE-6G will explore alternative radio waveform designs beyond those currently used in 5G New Radio, with the aim of improving spectral efficiency and robustness under realistic satellite operating conditions. The work is intended to help address some of the technical limitations associated with integrating satellite networks into future 6G communications architectures.
Key research areas include Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) modulation, Rate-Splitting Multiple Access (RSMA) and waveform schemes beyond conventional Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). These approaches are being investigated for their potential to improve communications performance in challenging radio environments, including satellite links affected by mobility and changing propagation conditions.
The project will also examine low-complexity hardware architectures, recognising that future 6G NTN technologies must be practical to implement in satellite payloads and user terminals, where processing power, energy consumption and hardware constraints remain important considerations.
Another focus is Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS), an emerging 6G capability that combines wireless communications with environmental sensing. Its inclusion reflects the wider direction of 6G research, where networks are expected to support not only connectivity but also sensing and awareness functions.
Standardisation is also part of the programme. By comparing candidate technologies against current 5G NR benchmarks, STARWAVE-6G aims to generate technical evidence that could inform future 6G NTN specifications and the evolution of satellite-terrestrial integration.
IDE is leading the project alongside a consortium of Greek industrial and academic organisations. The work contributes to European efforts to build domestic expertise in advanced NTN technologies and strengthen participation in the development of future communications standards.
IDE has also launched SIRIUS, a separate ESA ARTES project focused on AI-assisted interference detection and mitigation for satellite terminals.