NASA's Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore report hearing ‘strange noises’ coming from faulty Starliner

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have raised alarms about a series of "strange noises" coming from the malfunctioning Starliner capsule as of August 1, 2024. With a long way still to go before making it back to Earth, the veteran astronauts, currently residing on the International Space Station (ISS), are reportedly encountering a ‘pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping,’ according to the recording, first shared by a meteorologist named Rob Dale.

NASA astronauts report ‘strange noises’ from Starliner

Ars Technica first reported the ‘bizarre sound’ citing a recording originally captured and shared by Rob Dale, a meteorologist based in Michigan. In the recording, Wilmore holds his phone up to the speakers so Mission Control can hear the sound he's talking about. One can clearly hear a steady, pulsing sound coming from Wilmore's phone, coming out in regular beats.

"Butch, that one came through," Mission control responds to the noise provided by Wilmore. "It was kind of like a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping,” they added.

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However, since the noise was not clear the first time, Wilmore said he would try again so the team could listen carefully to identify what’s wrong. "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," the NASA astronaut stuck in space can be heard saying.

Just a space oddity or something serious?

The Mission Control team has yet to respond to media inquiries. However, in the recording, they can be heard assuring the astronauts that the recording will be investigated and they'll be informed of the findings. Wilmore clarifies that the sound is coming from the speaker inside the Starliner.

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Ars Technica mentions that it's pretty normal for astronauts to hear weird sounds from stuff in space. The kind of sonar-like noises heard this weekend probably aren't too complicated, and Wilmore didn't look too worried about it. Nevertheless, these odd noises are worth noting especially since Boeing and NASA have had a tough time with the Starliner's crewed flights, dealing with big helium leaks and thruster problems.

When is NASA planning to bring back its astronauts?

What was originally planned as a one-week mission has unexpectedly stretched into several months. NASA chose Saturday that it's too dangerous to bring two astronauts back to Earth in Boeing’s new capsule, so they'll have to wait until next year for a trip home with SpaceX. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are now set to come back in a SpaceX capsule in February.

Meanwhile, their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and try to fly back on its own, aiming to land in the New Mexico desert.

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