# 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. ## 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. **New to the technologies?** - [What is Earth observation?](https://leto.space/knowledge/earth-observation/): How satellites observe sites and land over time. - [What is GNSS?](https://leto.space/knowledge/gnss/): Satellite positioning and timing, explained. - [Providers on Spacegraph](https://spacegraph.com/en/marketplace): Our discovery platform has marketplace categories for construction and for real estate. ## Client project: supply-chain planning from global outdoor storage sites One of our four anonymised client projects sits in planning. ### Supply-chain planning through analysis of global outdoor storage sites. - **Sector:** Construction and real estate - **Technologies:** Earth observation, AI ## How we help construction and real estate companies ### 1. Strategy and use cases We rank the use cases in site acquisition, planning, construction and portfolio management by value and feasibility. [More on strategy and use cases](https://leto.space/consulting/strategy/) ### 2. Requirements and procurement Requirements for a monitoring or positioning service, and a scan of the providers. [More on requirements and procurement](https://leto.space/consulting/procurement/) ### 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. [More on implementation](https://leto.space/consulting/implementation/) ### 4. Skills and workshops Training for the teams in planning, site management and asset management who will use the results. [More on skills and workshops](https://leto.space/consulting/workshops/) [Planning a pilot on a construction site or a building portfolio? Talk to us before you choose a provider.](https://outlook.office365.com/book/LETOSPACE@leto.space/) ## Infrastructure, construction sites and property ### 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 [1]. [Monitoring ground motion with InSAR](https://leto.space/use-cases/ground-motion-insar/) ### 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 [1]. [Monitoring construction progress](https://leto.space/use-cases/construction-progress/) ### 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 [2]. 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 [1]. [Assessing climate risk for properties and assets](https://leto.space/use-cases/property-climate-risk/) ## When satellite data is not the answer in construction **Limits** - **Work on site:** Satellite imagery shows progress and change across a whole site. Quality checks, acceptance and as-built surveys still happen on site. - **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. - **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 ### How 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 [1]. 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 [1]. ### Which 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 [1]. 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 [1]. ### Can 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 [3]. Our use case on [ground motion monitoring with InSAR](https://leto.space/use-cases/ground-motion-insar/) explains how to use it. ### How 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](https://leto.space/consulting/) shows the path from the problem to operation. ### What 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. ## Sources 1. [EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2026-05-26](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/EU_Space_Market_Report_2026.pdf) 2. [EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, Issue 2, 2024, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2024](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/external/publications/euspa_market_report_2024.pdf) 3. [Tap into Europe in motion (European Ground Motion Service), European Space Agency (ESA), 2022-07-26](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-1/Tap_into_Europe_in_motion) Page: