The noise was audible even to veteran astronauts. Hospitalized
It’s a sound you never want to hear in space. On August 31, Butch Wilmore, a Boeing Starliner crew member (who wasn’t stranded), radioed NASA from the International Space Station to report yet another perplexing problem: The spacecraft’s already malfunctioning speakers had started emitting an inexplicable buzzing noise.
“We’re hearing some strange noises … we don’t know what they’re causing,” Wilmore explained to Mission Control on Saturday. “I’m going to leave you guys scratching your heads and trying to figure out what’s going on.”
The full conversation was first covered by meteorologist Rob Dale. NASA Space Flight Forum And then, Ars TechnicalThe call lasted less than two minutes. When the microphone was placed against the speaker, Wilmore’s voice picked up on a clear, semi-regular echo similar to the sound often heard on a submarine. alien Franchise MoviesAn unnamed NASA official also confirmed they were able to hear the mysterious patterns over the communications relay.
“Butch, just to be sure, is this coming from the Starliner’s speakers? Do you notice anything else? Any other noises, weird settings, etc?” they asked, before confirming that they would look into it.
“There are some sounds you don’t want to hear on a spacecraft, and what the Boeing Starliner is making right now is one of them,” says former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. Post to X Also includes a clip from Sunday’s pin.
After a day of internet speculation, NASA posts latest update The astronauts posted on social media sites on Monday to confirm that the “pulsating sound… has stopped.” An analysis by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the noise was caused by an audio setup between Starliner and the International Space Station.
“The space station’s audio systems are complex, with multiple interconnected spacecraft and modules, and it is common for noise and feedback to occur,” NASA explained, adding that crew members are always urged to report any unexplained sounds within the communications array. While the feedback could be disturbing, “there is no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations,” NASA said, adding that Starliner’s uncrewed docking is scheduled for after September 6.
[Related: Starliner astronauts are watering plants and fixing urine pumps on ISS.]
While strange radio glitches are reportedly common on the ISS, the current situation for Boeing’s first reusable spacecraft is the product of unprecedented happenstance. After years of manufacturing delays followed by weeks of technical issues, Starliner finally launched with a two-person crew on June 5. Wilmore, fellow astronaut Suni Williams, and NASA ground control reported problems immediately during the journey to the ISS. After successfully docking with the station, engineers quickly confirmed that multiple thrusters were malfunctioning and have been working to resolve the issue for weeks since then. Wilmore and Williams’ original eight-day mission has now become a months-long visit to the ISS, where they will be part of a team of NASA astronauts. Crew 9 rotation.
The pair aren’t currently scheduled to return to Earth until February 2025, giving them plenty of time to continue with their science experiments, maintain the urine pump, and potentially discover some more eerie sounds.
