Definition
What are space-enabled solutions?
A space-enabled solution is a service that uses Earth observation, satellite navigation or satellite communication, usually combined with AI, other data and existing processes, to solve a specific task for an organisation. The satellite is only one part: the solution also includes the software, the workflow and the people who act on the result.
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- LETO SPACE
Satellites observe the Earth, determine positions and carry data. This page explains what turns these capabilities into a solution, which technologies and European programmes are involved, and how an organisation can introduce one.
Definition
- Space-enabled solution
A space-enabled solution is a service that uses Earth observation, satellite navigation or satellite communication, usually combined with AI, other data and existing processes, to solve a specific task for an organisation.
- Also called: space-enabled service; in German: weltraumgestützte Lösung
This is the working definition we use at LETO SPACE. A solution is defined by its task and measured by the result it delivers, not by the satellite it uses. The satellite often stays invisible to the person who uses the result.
01Technology
The building blocks: three space technologies and AI
Three groups of space technology supply the capability. AI is, in our view, the layer that makes their data usable for a decision.
| What it provides | The question it answers | |
|---|---|---|
| Earth observation | Images and measurements of land, water and atmosphere | What is where, and what has changed? |
| Satellite navigation (GNSS) | Position, navigation and precise time | Where exactly is it, and when did it happen? |
| Satellite communication | Communication links via satellite | How do we stay connected where there is no network? |
| AI and analytics | Analysis of large volumes of images and signals | What does the data mean for my task? |
Earth observation gathers information about the Earth's surface, waters and atmosphere with sensors on satellites, aircraft or the ground, for example as optical images or radar measurements Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 13 July 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)What is Earth Observation?13 July 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu). Our page on Earth observation explains how it works and which data are free.
Satellite navigation (GNSS) provides positioning, navigation and timing services Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 12 May 2021European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2021/696 of 28 April 2021 establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme12 May 2021Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu). More on GNSS.
Satellite communication connects people, vehicles and sensors via satellite. Satellite networks can extend connectivity for the internet of things into remote areas, for example to monitor assets Source: European Space Agency (ESA), Connectivity and Secure Communications, 26 May 2016European Space Agency (ESA), Connectivity and Secure CommunicationsSatcoms for the Internet of Things26 May 2016Open source (opens resilience.esa.int). More on satellite communication.
AI turns large volumes of data into answers. Geospatial foundation models, for example, are pre-trained on large sets of satellite images and then adapted to tasks such as flood mapping Source: NASA Earthdata, 3 August 2023NASA EarthdataIBM Research and NASA IMPACT release open-source geospatial foundation model on Hugging Face3 August 2023Open source (opens earthdata.nasa.gov).
02Programmes
The European programmes behind them
The EU Space Programme, established by Regulation (EU) 2021/696, has five components: Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus, Space Situational Awareness and GOVSATCOM Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 12 May 2021European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2021/696 of 28 April 2021 establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme12 May 2021Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu). Four of them supply the capabilities on this page:
- Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the programme. It combines data from satellites with measurements from sensors on the ground, in the air and at sea Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 13 July 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)What is Earth Observation?13 July 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu), and it makes its data available on a free, full and open basis Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 12 May 2021European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2021/696 of 28 April 2021 establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme12 May 2021Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu) Source: European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal), accessed 7 October 2026European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal)Copernicusaccessed 7 October 2026Open source (opens eu-space.europa.eu).
- Galileo is the EU's global navigation satellite system and, unlike other global systems, a civilian one Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), accessed 6 October 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)Galileoaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
- EGNOS is Europe's regional satellite-based augmentation system. It improves the accuracy of GNSS positioning and adds an integrity message Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), accessed 6 October 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)EGNOSaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
- GOVSATCOM provides secure satellite communication for public authorities, in particular for crisis management, surveillance and the management of key infrastructure Source: EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), accessed 6 October 2026EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA)GOVSATCOM Hubaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens euspa.europa.eu).
Under Regulation (EU) 2023/588, the Union Secure Connectivity Programme is establishing a multi-orbital, secure connectivity system for satellite communication services to government-authorised users Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 15 March 2023European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2023/588 of 15 March 2023 establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme for the period 2023-202715 March 2023Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu). The European Commission calls this system IRIS² Source: European Commission, DG DEFIS, accessed 6 October 2026European Commission, DG DEFISIRIS²: secure connectivityaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu).
Many solutions also use data from outside the EU programmes, such as Landsat images from the US Geological Survey Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), accessed 6 October 2026U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)Landsat Data Accessaccessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens usgs.gov) or images from commercial satellites. The European Space Agency helps companies turn ideas into market-ready space-based services and applications through Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS), which has continued under ESA's ACCESS programme since 27 November 2025 Source: European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Space Solutions, accessed 7 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Space SolutionsESA Space Solutions: Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS)accessed 7 October 2026Open source (opens business.esa.int).
03Use cases
Examples by industry
Each use case page explains one application: the task, the data, what you receive and the limits.
- UC-01
Mapping urban heat islands with satellite data
How thermal satellite data shows where a city overheats, which data and satellites it uses, what a heat map delivers and where its 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-23
CSRD reporting with satellite data
Which parts of CSRD reporting can be enriched automatically, what satellite data adds on land, vegetation and emissions at your sites, and what it cannot do.
- UC-13
GNSS timing for power grids
Why power grids depend on GNSS timing: phasor measurement units, microsecond synchronisation, Galileo next to GPS and resilient grid timing.
- 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-21
Fleet tracking by satellite beyond mobile coverage
How vehicles, containers and vessels are tracked without a mobile network: GNSS for the position, satellite links for the transmission, and the limits of both.
- UC-29
Satellite IoT use cases: connecting remote sensors
How remote sensors send data via satellite: gateways with satellite backhaul, direct-to-satellite IoT and NB-IoT over satellite, with delays and limits.
- UC-30
AI satellite imagery analysis and GeoAI
How AI turns satellite images into information: object detection, land cover classification, change detection and geospatial foundation models, with limits.
04Terms
Solution, satellite data or space product?
Three terms are often mixed up. The difference matters when you plan a budget or write a tender, because each one is bought differently.
| What it is | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Satellite data | Images, measurements or signals as a satellite mission delivers them | A Sentinel-2 image of your region |
| Space product | Hardware or infrastructure that produces, receives or relays the signal | A satellite, a GNSS receiver, a satellite terminal |
| Space-enabled solution | A service that delivers a result for a task, built on one or more of the above | A quarterly map of new sealed surfaces, delivered to the planning department |
ESA's BASS programme speaks of "space-based services and applications" Source: European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Space Solutions, accessed 7 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Space SolutionsESA Space Solutions: Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS)accessed 7 October 2026Open source (opens business.esa.int). Whatever the name, a tender should describe the result you need, not the satellite or the sensor. The procurement guide shows how.
05Limits
Limits: when space is not the answer
Limit 01
Satellite data is not always the right tool
Sometimes sensors on site, drones or existing statistics answer the question better. A good assessment can end with the result that satellite data is not the right tool.
Limit 02
A pilot is not operation
A pilot shows that a solution works on a test area. Operation also needs an owner, a budget for the following years and a clear process for acting on the results.
06Next steps
How organisations introduce a space-enabled solution
An introduction usually passes through four stages: find the use case that pays off, write requirements that providers can answer, procure the solution, and bring it into daily work. Our consulting supports each stage, and you can start at any of them. We also develop Spacegraph, a discovery platform for space-enabled solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the difference between space-enabled solutions and satellite data?
Satellite data are images, measurements or signals as a mission delivers them. A space-enabled solution uses such data to deliver a result for a task: for example a map of sealed surfaces that a planning department receives every quarter. Much satellite data is free: Copernicus data, for example, are made available on a free, full and open basis to users worldwide Source: European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal), accessed 7 October 2026European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal)Copernicusaccessed 7 October 2026Open source (opens eu-space.europa.eu). The work lies in turning the data into a result that fits the task.
Q2Do space-enabled solutions always need AI?
No. Machine guidance on a construction site, for example, relies on precise GNSS positioning 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) and needs no AI. AI helps where large volumes of images must be analysed, for example to map floods or burn scars in satellite images Source: NASA Earthdata, 3 August 2023NASA EarthdataIBM Research and NASA IMPACT release open-source geospatial foundation model on Hugging Face3 August 2023Open source (opens earthdata.nasa.gov).
Q3Are space-enabled solutions only for large organisations?
No. Because Copernicus data are free and open Source: European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal), accessed 7 October 2026European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal)Copernicusaccessed 7 October 2026Open source (opens eu-space.europa.eu), for many tasks the main effort lies in processing the data and fitting the result into your work, not in buying the data. A municipality or a small company can start with a pilot on a defined area and a clear question.
Q4What is the German term for space-enabled solutions?
We use "weltraumgestützte Lösungen". In running German text, "Lösungen auf Basis von Satellitendaten" describes the same thing in more concrete words.
Sources (13)
- What is Earth Observation? (opens euspa.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/696 of 28 April 2021 establishing the Union Space Programme and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (opens eur-lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/588 of 15 March 2023 establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme for the period 2023-2027 (opens eur-lex.europa.eu)
- IRIS²: secure connectivity (opens defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu)
- Copernicus (opens eu-space.europa.eu)
- Galileo (opens euspa.europa.eu)
- EGNOS (opens euspa.europa.eu)
- GOVSATCOM Hub (opens euspa.europa.eu)
- Satcoms for the Internet of Things (opens resilience.esa.int)
- ESA Space Solutions: Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) (opens business.esa.int)
- Landsat Data Access (opens usgs.gov)
- IBM Research and NASA IMPACT release open-source geospatial foundation model on Hugging Face (opens earthdata.nasa.gov)
- EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1 (opens euspa.europa.eu)
Contact
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