Industries: construction and real estate
Satellite data for construction and real estate
Construction, infrastructure and real estate companies use satellite data to assess sites before they build, follow construction progress, measure ground motion under buildings and structures, and guide machines with satellite positioning. LETO SPACE helps you pick the use case with the best business case, specify and procure the service, and test it on a real project site.
- Terrain, river and parcels
- Track along the north bank of the river
- Subsidence measured by radar, with points on buildings and track
- Site boundary, with the part already built in grey
01Use cases
Where satellite data helps in construction and real estate
From the choice of a site to the monitoring of a finished building, satellite data answers questions across the life of a structure.
- UC-16
Supply chain satellite monitoring of outdoor storage sites
Which data shows activity at outdoor storage sites worldwide, how satellite imagery and AI turn it into supply-chain information, and where the limits are.
- UC-14
InSAR ground motion monitoring with satellite radar
What InSAR is, how radar satellites measure millimetre ground motion under infrastructure, and what the free European Ground Motion Service offers.
- UC-15
Construction progress monitoring with satellite imagery
How satellite imagery tracks progress on large and multi-site construction projects: change detection, resolution, radar, outputs and limits.
- UC-17
GNSS machine guidance and surveying in construction
How GNSS with RTK corrections guides construction machines and supports surveying, what Galileo adds, and where satellite positioning reaches its limits.
- UC-18
Climate risk assessment for properties with satellite data
How satellite data, hazard maps and climate projections rate the exposure of buildings to flooding, wildfire and ground movement, and where the limits are.
02Projects
Client project: supply-chain planning from global outdoor storage sites
One of our four anonymised client projects sits in planning.
- P-01SellEnergy and utilities
- P-02PlanConstruction and real estateSupply-chain planning through analysis of global outdoor storage sites.This industry
- P-03OperateMobility and logistics
- P-04ReportIndustrial manufacturing
03How we work
How we help construction and real estate companies
- Station 1
Strategy and use cases
We rank the use cases in site acquisition, planning, construction and portfolio management by value and feasibility.
- Station 2
Requirements and procurement
Requirements for a monitoring or positioning service, and a scan of the providers.
- Station 3
Implementation
A pilot on one project site or one group of buildings, with success criteria set before it starts, then the move into operation.
- Station 4
Skills and workshops
Training for the teams in planning, site management and asset management who will use the results.
Planning a pilot on a construction site or a building portfolio?Talk to us before you choose a provider.
04Topics
Infrastructure, construction sites and property
T-01
Infrastructure
Satellite imagery supports the infrastructure life cycle, from site selection to the monitoring of construction and of the finished structure, for buildings, bridges, roads, railway lines, pipelines and dams alike. Radar interferometry (InSAR) is increasingly used to assess ground deformation risk for large infrastructure, and the European Ground Motion Service provides ground deformation maps with millimetre accuracy at European scale; during the works, satellite data support the monitoring of ground deformation in the vicinity of the site Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
T-02
Construction sites
Satellite imagery can follow progress anywhere on a site in near real time. On site, GNSS supplies positioning and orientation data for heavy machinery such as graders, dozers and excavators, either as a guide for the operator or fed directly into the hydraulic control for fully automatic operation Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
T-03
Real estate and property
Buildings stand for decades, and extreme weather such as heat waves, storms and floods puts their structure and their use at risk Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2024EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, Issue 2, 20242024Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu). Historical satellite data on ground deformation, floods, droughts and fires, together with climate projections, help assess how vulnerable a site is to natural hazards, which informs both the design of new buildings and the maintenance of existing ones Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
05Limits
When satellite data is not the answer in construction
Limit 01
Work on site
Satellite imagery shows progress and change across a whole site. Quality checks, acceptance and as-built surveys still happen on site.
Limit 02
Clouds and revisit
Optical sensors cannot see through cloud, and satellites pass over an area at intervals. Where you need daily detail on one site, drones or cameras on site may be the better choice.
Limit 03
One layer among several
A site decision also depends on zoning, soil surveys and ownership. Satellite data adds a layer to that picture; it does not replace the other sources.
Frequently asked questions
Q1How can construction and real estate companies use satellite data?
Satellite data supports infrastructure through its whole life cycle: it helps characterise potential sites, monitor construction work and its effects on the environment, and plan maintenance once a structure is in use. Satellite positioning built into heavy machinery and drones supports construction works and maintenance Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu). For existing buildings and new projects alike, historical satellite data on ground deformation, floods, droughts and fires help assess how vulnerable a site is to natural hazards Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
Q2Which problems does Earth observation solve in construction, and which does GNSS solve?
Earth observation answers questions about what is on the ground and how it changes: the state of a site before planning, the progress of the works, and ground deformation over time. Satellite imagery supports the monitoring of construction operations and can follow progress anywhere on a site in near real time Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu). GNSS answers questions about position: surveying, and positioning data for heavy machinery, used either as a guide for the operator or fed directly into the machine's hydraulic control for fully automatic operation Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 126 May 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
Q3Can satellites detect ground movement under buildings and infrastructure?
Yes. Radar satellites measure ground motion by comparing repeated acquisitions of the same area, a technique called radar interferometry (InSAR). The European Ground Motion Service uses Copernicus Sentinel-1 data to provide millimetre-scale measurements across Europe, which help monitor subsidence and landslides affecting buildings, bridges, railway lines, sewer pipes and dams. Its data are free for anyone to use Source: European Space Agency (ESA), 26 July 2022European Space Agency (ESA)Tap into Europe in motion (European Ground Motion Service)26 July 2022Open source (opens esa.int). Our use case on ground motion monitoring with InSAR explains how to use it.
Q4How do we start, and what does a first pilot look like?
Start with one problem and the person responsible for it, for example progress reporting across many sites or the risk of subsidence along a planned route. A first pilot is measurable and time-boxed: its KPIs are agreed before it starts, and the person responsible for the problem decides at the end whether it goes into operation. Our consulting overview shows the path from the problem to operation.
Q5What data do we need to bring?
The locations and outlines of the sites, buildings or routes concerned, for example from your GIS or BIM models, a description of the decision the data should support, and the records you already keep, such as survey results or inspection reports.
Contact
Site selection or portfolio monitoring: which decision should satellite data support?
Book a call, or send us a message if you prefer to write.
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