Space Radar Maps Global Bridge Risks to Catch Failures Early

A global study of 744 bridges using MT-InSAR satellite radar shows space-based monitoring can reduce high-risk classifications by about one-third and enable ongoing observations for roughly half of the remaining risky bridges, with the most impact in Africa and Oceania. By combining satellite data with traditional SHM sensors (present on less than 20% of long-span bridges) and programs like Sentinel-1 and NASA's NISAR, engineers could regularly track millimeter-scale deformations across bridges worldwide.