RIS-Enabled Joint Communications and Sensing in 6G NTNs: Opportunities and Challenges

January 1, 2026·
Wali Ullah Khan
,
Chandan Kumar Sheemar
,
Muhammad Ali Jamshed
,
Eva Lagunas
,
Jorge Querol
,
Aryan Kaushik
,
Symeon Chatzinotas
· 1 min read
DOI
Abstract
The integration of Joint Communications and Sensing (JCAS) and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) is poised to be a cornerstone of Sixth-Generation (6G) Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), enabling unprecedented capabilities for ubiquitous connectivity and high-resolution environmental monitoring. While the synergy between RIS and JCAS in terrestrial networks has been explored, its application in the unique and stratified environment of NTNs presents distinct opportunities and challenges across different propagation domains. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of RIS-enabled JCAS for 6G NTNs, with a specific focus on differentiating the operational landscape between the space layer and the atmospheric layer. We identify novel key opportunities in the atmospheric layer, including uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and high-altitude platforms (HAPSs), and the space layer, including, low-Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, and Geostationary orbit (GEO), and present and discuss the future challenges to be addressed to realize the integration of RIS a reality for the next-generation JCAS for NTNs.
Type
Publication
IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society
publication

Abstract & Overview

The integration of Joint Communications and Sensing (JCAS) and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) is poised to be a cornerstone of Sixth-Generation (6G) Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), enabling unprecedented capabilities for ubiquitous connectivity and high-resolution environmental monitoring. While the synergy between RIS and JCAS in terrestrial networks has been explored, its application in the unique and stratified environment of NTNs presents distinct opportunities and challenges across different propagation domains. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of RIS-enabled JCAS for 6G NTNs, with a specific focus on differentiating the operational landscape between the space layer and the atmospheric layer. We identify novel key opportunities in the atmospheric layer, including uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and high-altitude platforms (HAPSs), and the space layer, including, low-Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, and Geostationary orbit (GEO), and present and discuss the future challenges to be addressed to realize the integration of RIS a reality for the next-generation JCAS for NTNs.

Publication Metadata

  • Authors: Wali Ullah Khan, Chandan Kumar Sheemar, Muhammad Ali Jamshed, Eva Lagunas, Jorge Querol, Aryan Kaushik, Symeon Chatzinotas
  • Venue: IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society (2026)
  • Research Areas: 6G-NTN, JCAS & Earth Observation
  • DOI: 10.1109/ojcoms.2026.3655070
6G-NTN JCAS & Earth Observation