From 13-24 July, the 17th annual European Space Agency (ESA)/Joint Research Centre (JRC) International Summer School on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) brought together a record 102 students, early-stage researchers and young professionals from 25 countries to broaden their knowledge of GNSS. In Espoo, Finland, they collaborated, built connections and learned from experts from ESA, the European Commission (EC), industry and academia.

Week in images: 27-31 July 2026

Discover our week through the lens

[English]: A solar eclipse is an unforgettable sight, but only if you watch it safely!

ESA reserve astronaut Sara García Alonso shows you how to enjoy this incredible cosmic event using certified eclipse glasses and explains why ordinary sunglasses are not enough.

Learn what happens during the different stages of an eclipse, when it is safe to look up, and how to experience one of the greatest shows in the Solar System without risking your eyes.

[Spanish]: Un eclipse solar es un espectáculo inolvidable, ¡pero solo si lo observas de forma Segura!

El astronauta de reserva de la ESA Pablo Álvarez

The European Space Agency's two-satellite HydroGNSS Scout mission has completed commissioning and is now in full scientific operations.

Following extensive testing and validation of the satellites, instruments and ground segment, HydroGNSS data are now freely available to users worldwide, opening new opportunities to advance our understanding of water availability and the impacts of climate change on Earth's water cycle.

What did space have in store for Europe this July?

The Artemis II crew visited ESA’s technical center in the Netherlands to meet the team behind Orion’s European Service Module, celebrating the colaboration that powered their trip around the Moon. Meanwhile, ESA’s Hera successfully upgraded it’s software fom 140 milliom km away, in preperation for it’s investigation of Dydimos and Dimorphos later this year.

July also saw FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C head to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in preperation for their launch this September. Then, the James Webb Space Telescope celebrates four years of sciency with a spectacular

A drone carrying an unusual payload recently took to the skies above ESTEC, the European Space Agency’s technical centre in the Netherlands, marking the first test flight of a student-developed radar retroreflector technology.

As the Pacific Ocean moves into an El Niño phase, scientists are monitoring changes in sea-surface temperature, but also sea-surface salinity – which is another key indicator of this phenomenon.

Measurements from satellites such as the European Space Agency's SMOS mission are revealing how freshwater and salt patterns shift across the Pacific as this year’s El Niño develops – offering a potential new pathway for early detection.