At 9:02 AM PT, NASA issued an official statement addressing the peculiar sound reported by astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station. According to NASA, the pulsing noise, which emanated from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, has ceased. The agency clarified that the sound was the result of an audio configuration issue between the space station and the Starliner.
The statement further explained, “The space station’s audio system is intricate, facilitating interconnections among multiple spacecraft and modules, and it is not uncommon to encounter noise and feedback. The crew is instructed to notify mission control upon hearing any unusual sounds originating from the communication system. The speaker feedback reported by Wilmore poses no technical risk to the crew, the Starliner, or the station’s operations, including the scheduled uncrewed undocking of the Starliner, planned for no earlier than Friday, September 6.”
As if facing the uncertainty of an extended stay in space wasn’t sufficient cause for concern, one of the astronauts currently stationed aboard the ISS has transmitted audio to NASA capturing a disconcerting noise originating from their malfunctioning Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
In audio initially reported by Ars Technica, astronaut Butch Wilmore is heard communicating with Johnson Space Center in Houston, informing mission control, “I’ve got a question about Starliner. There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker … I don’t know what’s making it.”
Mission control devised a method for Butch to transmit the sound through the communication system. After an initial unsuccessful attempt, mission control confirmed, “Butch, that one came through. It sounded like a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping.”
The recording was initially captured and shared by Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale. Butch played the audio again, remarking to NASA, “I’ll do it one more time and let you all scratch your heads and see if you can figure out what’s going on.”
Houston confirmed that they will be forwarding the recording for further analysis and will inform Butch of their findings.
As previously reported, Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams have been stranded on the International Space Station since June 6, following issues with Starliner’s thrusters and helium leaks. What was originally intended to be a week-long mission has now been significantly extended due to these technical difficulties.
The Starliner is scheduled to undock from the ISS and attempt an automated landing back on Earth, utilizing its autopilot system.
As for Butch and Suni, they are now scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025, with plans to travel aboard one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX spacecraft.
