Use case: energy and utilities

Monitoring pipelines and grid corridors

Operators monitor pipelines and grid corridors with satellite data in three ways: radar interferometry measures ground motion along the route, optical imagery shows vegetation encroaching on lines and pipes, and repeated images reveal third-party interference near the asset. Satellites cover long routes at regular intervals and point inspection teams to the sections at risk.

Reference
UC-11
Technologies
  • Earth observation
  • Satellite navigation
Industry
Challenge
Asset and infrastructure monitoring
Updated
Published by
LETO SPACE

01Technology

How it works

Pipelines and power lines are linear assets that can run across whole regions. Their size makes monitoring with in-situ means costly and challenging. Radar interferometry is increasingly used to assess ground deformation risk for large infrastructure such as pipelines, and C-band radar offers a balance between sensitivity and coverage that suits linear infrastructure 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 energy networks, Earth observation continuously detects ground movement and vegetation encroachment and supports natural hazard risk assessments, for example of subsidence, for existing and planned infrastructure 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). Each of these questions calls for a different kind of data.

Ground motion

Radar satellites measure how the ground and the structures on it move over time, at millimetre scale 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). The method, radar interferometry, has its own page: monitoring ground motion with InSAR.

Vegetation

Earth observation is used to assess vegetation encroachment on energy networks 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). Optical satellites such as Sentinel-2 record the corridor in 13 spectral bands Source: European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 6 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA)Sentinel-2 (mission page)accessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens esa.int), and images from successive dates show where vegetation has grown closer to a line or a pipeline route.

Activity near the asset

Earth observation also provides information on third-party interference along a pipeline network 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). The method is change detection: images of different dates are compared, and new changes along the route are flagged for review.

Satellite positioning complements the images. On above-ground pipelines, GNSS receivers monitor the stability of the structure; for underground pipes, GNSS supplies high-accuracy positions to ground-penetrating radar that maps leaks and other faults 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).

  • Ground motiona zone at risk, to check on site
  • Vegetationgrowing closer to the line or pipe
  • Change next to the assetnew since earlier images, for review
  • Radar measurement pointsfew in fields and forests
One corridor, three layers. Radar points are scarce in fields and forests, because changing vegetation and ploughing disturb the measurement. Illustrative map, not real data. Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, European Environment Agency (EEA)

02Data

Which data and satellites

QuestionDataExample
Is the ground moving along the route?Radar interferometry (InSAR)European Ground Motion Service, based on Copernicus Sentinel-1
Is vegetation encroaching on the line or pipe?Optical images, repeated over timeCopernicus Sentinel-2
Is something changing next to the asset?Optical or radar images of several datesCopernicus or commercial missions
Is methane escaping?Atmospheric methane measurementsPublic and private methane missions
Is an above-ground section moving?GNSS receivers on the structureYour own sensors

The European Ground Motion Service provides ground motion data for Europe from Sentinel-1 radar images, free of charge 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). Sentinel-2 delivers images at 10 m resolution in 13 spectral bands, with a revisit time of five days Source: European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 6 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA)Sentinel-2 (mission page)accessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens esa.int). For gas networks, methane leaks are an additional topic, covered in the FAQ below.

03Deliverables

What you get

A monitoring service along a corridor typically delivers:

As satellite capabilities improve, service providers become better at monitoring energy assets, which further reduces the need for air and ground patrols 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).

04Limits

Limits

05Next steps

How we help

Corridor monitoring is worth examining where inspection is expensive or risks are hard to see from the ground. In a strategy engagement we check which sections and which risks justify a service. We then write the requirements: which questions, which update interval, which accuracy and which format for your asset management systems.

More on requirements and procurement

To see who offers such services, use Spacegraph, our discovery platform. Its marketplace has a use-case category for infrastructure integrity.

06Use cases

Frequently asked questions

Q1What data is needed, and how often is it updated?

You bring the route of the pipeline or line as a GIS layer and the risks you want to watch. The European Ground Motion Service, which covers Europe with free radar-based ground motion data, is updated once a year Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 6 October 2026Copernicus Land Monitoring ServiceEuropean Ground Motion Service (product page)accessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens land.copernicus.eu). Sentinel-2 optical images have a revisit time of five days Source: European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 6 October 2026European Space Agency (ESA)Sentinel-2 (mission page)accessed 6 October 2026Open source (opens esa.int) and, like all Copernicus data, are free of charge 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), although clouds can hide a corridor on a given pass. If a yearly update is too slow for your purpose, that becomes a requirement for a dedicated service.

Q2Can satellites detect methane leaks from gas pipelines?

Several satellite missions detect methane: Sentinel-5P provides daily global coverage, and commercial constellations such as GHGSat's track and quantify methane leaks from oil and gas sites 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). The EU Methane Regulation of 2024 covers gas transmission and distribution and requires operators to carry out leak detection and repair surveys. It names satellites among the platforms for site-level measurement, which for a pipeline network covers segments of the network, and it tasks the European Commission with a global methane monitoring tool based on satellite data Source: European Union, EUR-Lex, 13 June 2024European Union, EUR-LexRegulation (EU) 2024/1787 of 13 June 2024 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector13 June 2024Open source (opens eur-lex.europa.eu).

Q3How do we start a pilot?

Choose one corridor section with a known problem, for example a slope with suspected movement or a stretch that is costly to patrol, and agree how you will judge the result. Our consulting overview shows the path from the problem to operation, and an initial call is the quickest way to check whether your case is a good candidate.

Sources (10)

  1. EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 26 May 2026EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1 (opens euspa.europa.eu)
  2. EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2024EUSPA EO and GNSS Market Report, Issue 2, 2024 (opens euspa.europa.eu)
  3. European Space Agency (ESA), 26 July 2022Tap into Europe in motion (European Ground Motion Service) (opens esa.int)
  4. Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 6 October 2026European Ground Motion Service (product page) (opens land.copernicus.eu)
  5. Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, European Environment Agency (EEA), 7 August 2025European Ground Motion Service (EGMS): Product Description and Format Specification, version 3.0 (opens library.land.copernicus.eu)
  6. Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, European Environment Agency (EEA), 7 August 2025European Ground Motion Service (EGMS): Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, version 4 (opens library.land.copernicus.eu)
  7. European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 6 October 2026Sentinel-2 (mission page) (opens esa.int)
  8. European Space Agency (ESA), 3 November 2025Sentinel-1 mission… did you know? (opens esa.int)
  9. European Union, EUR-Lex, 13 June 2024Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 of 13 June 2024 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector (opens eur-lex.europa.eu)
  10. European Commission, DG Defence Industry and Space (EU Space portal), accessed 7 October 2026Copernicus (opens eu-space.europa.eu)

Contact

Which corridor sections cost you the most to inspect? That is where we start.

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