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ISS Crew Safe Amidst Major Solar Storm
20 Jan
Summary
- Reports of ISS crew relocating during a geomagnetic storm are false.
- A powerful solar flare on January 18 caused a 200-fold radiation spike.
- Geomagnetic storm reached G4 level, with potential to reach it again.
Reports circulating on January 20, 2026, that the International Space Station (ISS) crew had relocated to a different module due to a geomagnetic storm have been confirmed as false by Roscosmos, Russia's space corporation. The station's crew remained in their designated areas.
This clarification comes after a significant solar event on January 18, 2026. The Sun emitted an X-class solar flare, which dramatically increased radiation levels in Earth's orbit by a factor of 200 due to a massive influx of accelerated protons. This solar flare also released a substantial cloud of plasma.
The ejected plasma cloud subsequently triggered a geomagnetic storm on the evening of January 19, 2026. The storm's intensity rapidly escalated, reaching a G4 (strong) level overnight. While it subsequently weakened to a G1 (minor) level by the morning of January 20, scientists indicated the possibility of it returning to G4 intensity later that day.
