diff --git a/icepyx/core/APIformatting.py b/icepyx/core/APIformatting.py
index dc20c6878..73047e05b 100644
--- a/icepyx/core/APIformatting.py
+++ b/icepyx/core/APIformatting.py
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 """Generate and format information for submitting to API (CMR and NSIDC)."""
 
 import datetime as dt
-from typing import Any, Generic, Literal, Optional, TypeVar, Union, overload
+from typing import Any, Generic, Literal, Optional, TypeVar, overload
 
 from icepyx.core.exceptions import ExhaustiveTypeGuardException, TypeGuardException
-from icepyx.core.types import (
+from icepyx.core.types.api import (
     CMRParams,
-    EGIParamsSubset,
-    EGIRequiredParams,
 )
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -212,20 +210,22 @@ def __get__(
         self,
         instance: 'Parameters[Literal["required"]]',
         owner: Any,
-    ) -> EGIRequiredParams: ...
+    ):  #  -> EGIRequiredParams: ...
+        ...
 
     @overload
     def __get__(
         self,
         instance: 'Parameters[Literal["subset"]]',
         owner: Any,
-    ) -> EGIParamsSubset: ...
+    ):  # -> EGIParamsSubset: ...
+        ...
 
     def __get__(
         self,
         instance: "Parameters",
         owner: Any,
-    ) -> Union[CMRParams, EGIRequiredParams, EGIParamsSubset]:
+    ) -> CMRParams:
         """
         Returns the dictionary of formatted keys associated with the
         parameter object.
diff --git a/icepyx/core/granules.py b/icepyx/core/granules.py
index d6a519048..32ab7a048 100644
--- a/icepyx/core/granules.py
+++ b/icepyx/core/granules.py
@@ -17,15 +17,17 @@
 
 import icepyx.core.APIformatting as apifmt
 from icepyx.core.auth import EarthdataAuthMixin
-from icepyx.core.cmr import CMR_PROVIDER
+from icepyx.core.cmr import CMR_PROVIDER, get_concept_id
 import icepyx.core.exceptions
-from icepyx.core.types import (
+from icepyx.core.harmony import HarmonyApi
+from icepyx.core.types.api import (
     CMRParams,
-    EGIRequiredParamsDownload,
-    EGIRequiredParamsSearch,
 )
 from icepyx.core.urls import DOWNLOAD_BASE_URL, GRANULE_SEARCH_BASE_URL, ORDER_BASE_URL
-from icepyx.uat import EDL_ACCESS_TOKEN
+
+# TODO: mix this into existing classes rather than declaring as a global
+# variable.
+HARMONY_API = HarmonyApi()
 
 
 def info(grans: list[dict]) -> dict[str, Union[int, float]]:
@@ -191,7 +193,6 @@ def __init__(
     def get_avail(
         self,
         CMRparams: CMRParams,
-        reqparams: EGIRequiredParamsSearch,
         cloud: bool = False,
     ):
         """
@@ -222,9 +223,7 @@ def get_avail(
         query.Query.avail_granules
         """
 
-        assert (
-            CMRparams is not None and reqparams is not None
-        ), "Missing required input parameter dictionaries"
+        assert CMRparams is not None, "Missing required input parameter dictionary"
 
         # if not hasattr(self, 'avail'):
         self.avail = []
@@ -232,14 +231,12 @@ def get_avail(
         headers = {
             "Accept": "application/json",
             "Client-Id": "icepyx",
-            "Authorization": f"Bearer {EDL_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
         }
         # note we should also check for errors whenever we ping NSIDC-API -
         # make a function to check for errors
 
         params = apifmt.combine_params(
             CMRparams,
-            {k: reqparams[k] for k in ["short_name", "version", "page_size"]},
             {"provider": CMR_PROVIDER},
         )
 
@@ -292,7 +289,7 @@ def get_avail(
     def place_order(
         self,
         CMRparams: CMRParams,
-        reqparams: EGIRequiredParamsDownload,
+        reqparams,  # : EGIRequiredParamsDownload,
         subsetparams,
         verbose,
         subset=True,
@@ -337,7 +334,7 @@ def place_order(
         --------
         query.Query.order_granules
         """
-        raise icepyx.core.exceptions.RefactoringException
+        # raise icepyx.core.exceptions.RefactoringException
 
         self.get_avail(CMRparams, reqparams)
 
@@ -348,6 +345,29 @@ def place_order(
         else:
             request_params = apifmt.combine_params(CMRparams, reqparams, subsetparams)
 
+        concept_id = get_concept_id(
+            product=request_params["short_name"], version=request_params["version"]
+        )
+
+        # TODO: At this point, the request parameters have been formatted into
+        # strings. `harmony-py` expects python objects (e.g., `dt.datetime` for
+        # temporal values)
+
+        # Place the order.
+        # TODO: there are probably other options we want to more generically
+        # expose here. E.g., instead of just accepting a `bounding_box` of a
+        # particular flavor, we want to be able to pass in a polygon?
+        HARMONY_API.place_order(
+            concept_id=concept_id,
+            bounding_box=request_params["bounding_box"],
+            temporal=request_params["temporal"],
+        )
+
+        ########################################################################
+        # Most of what exists after this point will go away. `harmony-py` deals
+        # with submitting orders and tracking status via a single job ID.
+        ########################################################################
+
         order_fn = ".order_restart"
 
         total_pages = int(np.ceil(len(self.avail) / reqparams["page_size"]))
diff --git a/icepyx/core/harmony.py b/icepyx/core/harmony.py
index 33274a5ac..4d978dae7 100644
--- a/icepyx/core/harmony.py
+++ b/icepyx/core/harmony.py
@@ -21,3 +21,29 @@ def get_capabilities(self, concept_id: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
         response = self.harmony_client.submit(capabilities_request)
 
         return response
+
+    def place_order(self, concept_id: str, bounding_box, temporal) -> str:
+        """Places a Harmony order with the given parameters.
+
+        Return a string representing a job ID.
+        """
+        collection = harmony.Collection(id=concept_id)
+        request = harmony.Request(
+            collection=collection,
+            # TODO: add spatial bounding box is a `harmony.BBox`.
+            spatial=bounding_box,
+            # TODO: temporal should be a dict {"start": dt.datetime, "end": dt.datetime}
+            temporal=temporal,
+        )
+
+        if not request.is_valid():
+            # TODO: consider more specific error class & message
+            raise RuntimeError("Failed to create valid request")
+
+        job_id = self.harmony_client.submit(request)
+
+        return job_id
+
+    def check_order_status(self, job_id: str):
+        status = self.harmony_client.status(job_id)
+        return status
diff --git a/icepyx/core/query.py b/icepyx/core/query.py
index 573ca8b1b..89592e707 100644
--- a/icepyx/core/query.py
+++ b/icepyx/core/query.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import datetime as dt
 from functools import cached_property
 import pprint
-from typing import Optional, Union, cast
+from typing import Optional, Union
 
 import geopandas as gpd
 import holoviews as hv
@@ -17,11 +17,8 @@
 import icepyx.core.is2ref as is2ref
 import icepyx.core.spatial as spat
 import icepyx.core.temporal as tp
-from icepyx.core.types import (
+from icepyx.core.types.api import (
     CMRParams,
-    EGIParamsSubset,
-    EGIRequiredParams,
-    EGIRequiredParamsDownload,
 )
 import icepyx.core.validate_inputs as val
 from icepyx.core.variables import Variables as Variables
@@ -597,7 +594,7 @@ def CMRparams(self) -> CMRParams:
         return self._CMRparams.fmted_keys
 
     @property
-    def reqparams(self) -> EGIRequiredParams:
+    def reqparams(self):  # -> EGIRequiredParams:
         """
         Display the required key:value pairs that will be submitted.
         It generates the dictionary if it does not already exist.
@@ -613,8 +610,6 @@ def reqparams(self) -> EGIRequiredParams:
         >>> reg_a.reqparams # doctest: +SKIP
         {'short_name': 'ATL06', 'version': '006', 'page_size': 2000, 'page_num': 1, 'request_mode': 'async', 'include_meta': 'Y', 'client_string': 'icepyx'}
         """
-        raise RefactoringException
-
         if not hasattr(self, "_reqparams"):
             self._reqparams = apifmt.Parameters("required", reqtype="search")
             self._reqparams.build_params(product=self.product, version=self._version)
@@ -624,7 +619,7 @@ def reqparams(self) -> EGIRequiredParams:
     # @property
     # DevQuestion: if I make this a property, I get a "dict" object is not callable
     # when I try to give input kwargs... what approach should I be taking?
-    def subsetparams(self, **kwargs) -> Union[EGIParamsSubset, dict[Never, Never]]:
+    def subsetparams(self, **kwargs):  # -> Union[EGIParamsSubset, dict[Never, Never]]:
         """
         Display the subsetting key:value pairs that will be submitted.
         It generates the dictionary if it does not already exist
@@ -650,7 +645,7 @@ def subsetparams(self, **kwargs) -> Union[EGIParamsSubset, dict[Never, Never]]:
         {'time': '2019-02-20T00:00:00,2019-02-28T23:59:59',
         'bbox': '-55.0,68.0,-48.0,71.0'}
         """
-        raise RefactoringException
+        # raise RefactoringException
 
         if not hasattr(self, "_subsetparams"):
             self._subsetparams = apifmt.Parameters("subset")
@@ -1024,12 +1019,13 @@ def order_granules(
         .
         Retry request status is: complete
         """
-        breakpoint()
-        raise RefactoringException
-
-        if not hasattr(self, "reqparams"):
-            self.reqparams
+        # breakpoint()
+        # raise RefactoringException
 
+        # TODO: this probably shouldn't be mutated based on which method is being called...
+        # It is also very confusing to have both `self.reqparams` and
+        # `self._reqparams`, each of which does something different!
+        self.reqparams
         if self._reqparams._reqtype == "search":
             self._reqparams._reqtype = "download"
 
@@ -1065,7 +1061,7 @@ def order_granules(
                 tempCMRparams["readable_granule_name[]"] = gran
                 self.granules.place_order(
                     tempCMRparams,
-                    cast(EGIRequiredParamsDownload, self.reqparams),
+                    self.reqparams,
                     self.subsetparams(**kwargs),
                     verbose,
                     subset,
@@ -1075,7 +1071,7 @@ def order_granules(
         else:
             self.granules.place_order(
                 self.CMRparams,
-                cast(EGIRequiredParamsDownload, self.reqparams),
+                self.reqparams,
                 self.subsetparams(**kwargs),
                 verbose,
                 subset,
diff --git a/icepyx/core/spatial.py b/icepyx/core/spatial.py
index fef61846f..234722327 100644
--- a/icepyx/core/spatial.py
+++ b/icepyx/core/spatial.py
@@ -821,3 +821,44 @@ def fmt_for_EGI(self) -> str:
 
         else:
             raise icepyx.core.exceptions.ExhaustiveTypeGuardException
+
+    def fmt_for_harmony(self) -> ...:
+        """
+        Format the spatial extent input into format expected by `harmony-py`.
+
+        `harmony-py` can take two different spatial parameters:
+
+        * `spatial`: "Bounding box spatial constraints on the data or Well Known
+          Text (WKT) string describing the spatial constraints." The "Bounding
+          box" is expected to be a `harmony.BBox`.
+        * `shape`: "a file path to an ESRI Shapefile zip, GeoJSON file, or KML
+          file to use for spatial subsetting. Note: not all collections support
+          shapefile subsetting"
+
+        Question: is `spatial` the same as `shape`, in terms of performance? If
+        so, we could be consistent and always turn the input into geojson and
+        pass that along to harmony. Otherwise we should choose `spatial` if the
+        extent_type is bounding, otherwise `shape`.
+        Answer: No! They're not the same. They map to different harmony
+        parameters and each is a different service. E.g., some collections may
+        have bounding box subsetting while others have shape subsetting (or
+        both).
+        TODO: think more about how we verify if certain inputs are valid for
+        harmony. E.g., do we need to check the capabilities of each and
+        cross-check that with user inputs to determine which action to take?
+        Also: Does `icepyx` always perform subsetting based on user input? If
+        not, how do we determine which parameters are for finding granules vs
+        performing subetting?
+
+        Question: is there any way to pass in a geojson string directly, so that
+        we do not have to mock out a file just for harmony?  Answer: no, not
+        direcly. `harmony-py` wants a path to a file on disk. We may want to
+        have the function that submits the request to harmony with `harmony-py`
+        accept something that's easily-serializable to a geojson file so that it
+        can manage the lifespan of the file. It would be best (I think) to avoid
+        writing tmp files to disk in this function, because it doesn't know when
+        the request gets made/when to cleanup the file. That means that we may
+        leave stray files on the user's computer. Ideally, we would be able to
+        pass `harmony-py` a bytes object (or a shapely Polygon!)
+        """
+        # TODO!
diff --git a/icepyx/core/types/api.py b/icepyx/core/types/api.py
index b29ba8fb4..9af9bb9d6 100644
--- a/icepyx/core/types/api.py
+++ b/icepyx/core/types/api.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
-from typing import Literal, TypedDict, Union
+from typing import TypedDict, Union
 
-from typing_extensions import NotRequired
 from pydantic import BaseModel
+from typing_extensions import NotRequired
 
 CMRParamsBase = TypedDict(
     "CMRParamsBase",
     {
+        "short_name": str,
+        "version": str,
+        "page_size": int,
         "temporal": NotRequired[str],
         "options[readable_granule_name][pattern]": NotRequired[str],
         "options[spatial][or]": NotRequired[str],
@@ -25,4 +28,4 @@ class CMRParamsWithPolygon(CMRParamsBase):
 CMRParams = Union[CMRParamsWithBbox, CMRParamsWithPolygon]
 
 
-class HarmonyCoverageAPIParamsBase(BaseModel):
+class HarmonyCoverageAPIParamsBase(BaseModel): ...