During the weekend, astronaut Butch Wilmore reported hearing unusual noises coming from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
Previously, the spacecraft, which transported two astronauts to the ISS, encountered several technical issues and is now set to return to Earth empty, while the crew stranded on the station will be brought home by the SpaceX spacecraft.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Starliner, which remained docked to the ISS, began emitting strange repetitive sounds โ these can be heard in a conversation between astronaut Butch Wilmore and NASA's flight control center (around the 45-second mark)
Starliner crew reports hearing strange ยซsonar like noisesยป emanating from their craft. This is the real audio of it: pic.twitter.com/xzHTMvB7uq
โ SpaceBasedFox ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.๐๐๐ (@SpaceBasedFox) September 1, 2024
ยซI'm not sure what exactly is producing this sound,ยป Wilmore stated during the conversation, as he brought his microphone closer to the Starliner's speakers. The dispatcher then replied: ยซIt sounds like a pulsing noise, similar to what sonar picks upยป.
Later, the dispatcher confirmed whether the sound was indeed coming from the Starliner's speakers. Wilmore answered affirmatively and mentioned that no other anomalies had been detected.
NASA has yet to provide a report regarding the strange sounds from the Starliner. The troubled spacecraft was expected to detach from the ISS in a few days, but it may be necessary to wait until the team clarifies this odd auditory anomaly
On June 5, after nearly 20 years of planning, development, testing, and delays, the Boeing Starliner spacecraft made its first crewed launch, sending astronauts to the ISS as part of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. The crew, consisting of Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, was initially scheduled to stay at the station for 8-10 days; however, they ended up being stranded for months due to technical issues with the spacecraft (five engines failed during the approach to the station). American astronauts are expected to remain at the station at least until February 2025, when they will be picked up by the SpaceX spacecraft.
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