NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, currently stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, recently reported hearing a strange noise coming from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The noise, described as a “pulsating” sound similar to a sonar ping, was first detected by Wilmore and later transmitted to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The noise, which was caught in an audio recording shared by a meteorologist, initially caused concern about potential issues with the spacecraft.
NASA later clarified that the noise resulted from an audio feedback loop between the Starliner and the ISS’s communication systems. According to NASA’s statement, such feedback is not uncommon due to the complexity of the station’s audio setup, which connects various spacecraft and modules. The agency assured that the noise had no technical impact on the crew or operations and that it has since stopped.
Wilmore and Williams have been stuck on the ISS since June due to problems with the Starliner, including thruster issues and helium leaks. Their return to Earth was initially scheduled for a short stay, but the delays have extended their mission significantly. The Starliner is now set to attempt an automated undocking and return to Earth soon.
In the meantime, Wilmore and Williams are expected to remain on the ISS until February 2025. At that point, they will return to Earth aboard a SpaceX spacecraft, marking a prolonged and unexpected extension of their time in space. This situation underscores the challenges and unpredictability of space missions, especially when dealing with new spacecraft like the Starliner.
