NASA reassures public that strange noises from malfunctioning Boeing spacecraft are not a cause for concern, according to Science & Tech News.
According to NASA, the strange noises heard from the Boeing Starliner on the International Space Station (ISS) are not a cause for concern.
Astronaut Butch Wilmore, who has been at the ISS with Suni since early July due to Starliner’s issues, reported hearing unusual sounds coming from the spacecraft over the weekend.
“I don’t know what’s causing it,” he informed mission control from Earth.
He requested assistance in identifying the source of the noise and told them to contact them once they had a solution.
Mission control described the noise as resembling a “pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping”.
NASA has since confirmed that the noise has ceased and poses no threat.
“A pulsing sound heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the ISS from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has ceased,” NASA stated.
“The feedback was a result of an audio configuration issue between the space station and Starliner.”
NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore before blasting off in Boeing’s Starliner in July. Pic: NASA
The audio system on the space station links various spacecraft and modules.
“It is common to have noise and feedback in such systems,” NASA explained.
The agency assured that the noises will not affect the crew or station operations, including Friday’s planned Starliner departure from the ISS.
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Since July, the troubled spacecraft has been stranded at the ISS. It was Starliner’s inaugural manned mission and has faced challenges since its inception.
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Astronauts stuck until February
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Instead, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will return via a SpaceX spacecraft in February 2025.
Originally intended for an eight-day mission, their stay will now exceed eight months by the time they depart.
The spacecraft is scheduled to return to Earth starting Friday, though it will not have any crew members onboard.
