Space Station Crew Shelters as 'Cannibal' Solar Storm Sparks Auroras Worldwide

ISS crew alters sleep plans as intense 'cannibal' solar storm sends charged particles into orbit

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station adjusted where they slept after an extreme "cannibal" solar storm—formed when multiple solar eruptions merge—sent high-energy particles into near-Earth space, the station reported.

As a precaution, the three Russian cosmonauts on the outpost—Oleg Platonov, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky—were instructed to spend the night in the station's laboratory module rather than their usual crew quarters. A mission control operator warned that the station had "entered into an energetic solar particle event" and could see periods of radiation above baseline levels.

"We entered into an energetic solar particle event this morning, and we're going to go in and out of holes of higher than the baseline [radiation] risk," a mission control operator told astronaut Mike Fincke aboard the ISS.

The British Geological Survey warned that a sequence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun this week could interact and feed off each other, producing what forecasters call a "cannibal storm"—one of the largest such events since 2005. When CMEs merge they can amplify particle energies and magnetic effects, increasing the potential for impacts on satellites, communications, navigation systems and power grids.

Impacts on Earth and spaceflight: The storm caused radio blackouts across Africa and parts of Europe and contributed to a delay in Blue Origin's planned New Glenn launch. High-energy particles associated with the event include energetic ions that increase radiation risk for astronauts and sensitive electronics in orbit.

Although the ISS has shielding and established procedures to reduce crew exposure to solar particle events, mission teams sometimes reposition crew members to modules offering better protection. In this case the U.S. Operating Segment (USOS) crew used their regular crew quarters while the Roscosmos cosmonauts "camped out in the lab" as a preventative measure.

Why the Russian crew sheltered in the lab: The precaution may partly reflect concerns about the ageing Zvezda module in the Russian segment, which has a persistent air leak that has grown slowly over time. Engineers say key areas have been sealed and there is no immediate danger to the crew, but the leak underscores how wear, micro-cracks and micrometeoroid impacts can increase risks aboard the station.

On the ground, skywatchers reported brilliant auroras across Europe, North America and Australia during the geomagnetic disturbance, producing vivid northern and southern lights visible far from the poles.

Context: The event comes amid the Sun's current solar maximum—the most active phase of its roughly 11-year cycle—which forecasters expect to continue at least through the end of the year. Space agencies continue to monitor the Sun closely and update operational guidance to protect astronauts, satellites and infrastructure.