The spectacular Aurora lights visible from all around the world in recent days are not only caused by particles ejected from the Sun. While dazzling light displays caused by intense Solar storms are being observed, the crew of the International Space Station orbiting Earth also had to take serious precautions.
Communication records between the ISS mission control and crew members show that due to the potential danger of the recent Solar storms, the astronauts’ sleep schedules were adjusted. The safety measure was so serious that three Russian cosmonauts on the station were asked to spend a night in the ISS’s laboratory module.
An operator at the control center warned NASA astronaut Mike Fincke with, “We entered an energetic Solar particle event this morning, and we will be passing through holes with high radiation risk.” This situation revealed that particles coming from the Sun posed an increasing risk to the crew on the station.
Dangerous particles creating the auroras
On the nights of November 11 and 12, coronal mass ejections from AR4274, one of the most energetic sunspots of the current solar cycle, caused widespread auroras in the Northern Hemisphere. However, these energetic particles behind the beautiful visuals also carry heavy and radioactive ions that can be harmful to the orbiting astronauts. Since the astronauts lack natural shields like the planet’s magnetic field, they are more vulnerable to this threat.
The ISS also has its own defense mechanisms. However, this emergency measure was only requested for Russian cosmonauts Oleg Platonov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky. NASA public relations officer Sandra Jones confirmed the incident and stated that the cosmonauts remaining in the laboratory module was a precaution taken due to the storm. The American and Japanese crew members continued to sleep in their respective crew cabins. Additionally, a list of areas to avoid on the station during the solar storm was provided to the ISS team.
Currently, on ISS Expedition 73, besides cosmonauts Platonov, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky, there are also NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Jonny Kim, and Zena Cardman, as well as JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui. This group will stay on the station for approximately three more months.
Meanwhile, with the end of the US government shutdown, both American astronauts on Earth and in space resumed their social media posts. In his first post after this process, Jonny Kim shared a video of the aurora he captured from space on September 3.
