NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore recently encountered an unusual situation while aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which is currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS). On Saturday, Wilmore noticed an odd sound coming from a speaker inside the spacecraft. Unsure of the origin, he radioed mission control at Johnson Space Centre in Houston to report the issue. “I’ve got a question about Starliner,” Wilmore said. “There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker… I don’t know what’s making it.” His uncertainty suggested that the noise could be linked to the connection between the ISS and the spacecraft or something else entirely.
Responding swiftly, mission control connected via a hardline to listen to the audio inside Starliner. Wilmore, floating inside the spacecraft, held his microphone up to the speaker, allowing the control team to hear the noise firsthand. The sound, which came through clearly, was described as a “pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping” by the ground team. After recording the sound again, Wilmore handed over the situation to the flight controllers, asking them to investigate further.
Potential Explanations and Historical Context
The exact cause behind the noise emanating from the Starliner spacecraft has now been figured out and resolved, as per NASA. The pulsing feedback from the speaker is said to have been caused by an audio configuration between the ISS and the spacecraft. The space agency says experiencing noise and feedback is common because of the complex nature of the space station’s audio system, which interconnects multiple spacecraft and modules.
Despite the issue, the space agency adds that there is no impact on the crew, station operations, or the Starliner.
This issue arose at a time when Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is already under intense scrutiny. The spacecraft has faced several technical challenges, including significant helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters during its debut crewed flight, resulting in multiple delays with regard to the return of the astronauts back to Earth.