NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reports 'strange noise' coming from Boeing's Starliner spacecraft (video)

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Mission Control at Johnson Space Center, Houston, likens the sound to a 'pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping'

On Saturday (Aug. 31) NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore noticed something weird inside the Starliner spacecraft. 

Wilmore radioed down to Mission Control to ask about the bizarre noises heard emanating from Starliner's speakers while the spacecraft is currently docked to the International Space Station (ISS). 

"There's a strange noise coming through the speaker," Wilmore tells Mission Control "I don't know what's making it."

Starliner spacecraft docked to the International Space Station's Harmony Module.  (Image credit: NASA Johnson/Flickr)

Wilmore then holds a device to the speakers, allowing Mission Control to hear the pulsating sound occurring at regular intervals.

Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston likens the sound to a "pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping."

Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield commented on the situation in a post on X. In the post, you can hear the strange sound reported by Wilmore.

"There are several noises I'd prefer not to hear inside my spaceship, including this one that Boeing Starliner is now making," Hadfield wrote. 

The unusual sound was initially reported by Ars Technica, referencing a recording originally captured and shared by Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale on the NASA Spaceflight (NSF) forum.

NASA has since issued a press statement in response to the situation. 

"A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped," NASA said. "The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner."

Due to the complex audio system on the ISS where multiple spacecraft and modules are interconnected, experiencing noise and feedback is normal, according to NASA. If the crew hears sounds from the communication system, they are asked to contact Mission Control. 

"The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner's uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, Sept. 6," NASA continued. 

Starliner launched on June 5 for its first-ever crewed mission, transporting NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS. The capsule successfully docked on June 6. Although the mission was initially expected to last around 10 days, NASA and Boeing extended the capsule's stay in orbit multiple times as they investigated a thruster issue. 

Ultimately, NASA determined that returning Williams and Wilmore on Starliner was too risky. The agency announced that the two astronauts would instead return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025. Meanwhile, the Boeing capsule will return to Earth uncrewed. It is scheduled to undock the ISS no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT) on Sept. 6 and land six hours later in the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. 

Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) to include details from NASA's press statement responding to the situation. 

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Daisy Dobrijevic
Daisy Dobrijevic
Reference Editor

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase! 

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jan.wolitzky
    Sounds like the auto-destruct sequence countdown... ;-)
    Reply
  • Osbert
    Back in college, long time ago, I was doing homework. Seated alone at the computer I began to hear a voice coming from my speakers. It was only 1/2 of a conversation. After listening to some old guy, obviously talking to another old guy, for 45 minutes or so, I finally got a phone number.... POINT is..... a neighbor living very near me, had a radio transmitter hooked up and everytime one of them spoke, I could hear it. WHICH MEANS >>> There's something nearby that is transmitting that signal. Most likely on the Starliner itself. The "device" should be investigated by some (3) letter GOV agency and NASA. As soon as it "lands", if it lands. It's very interesting to say the least. Very surprised they even released this info. BUT, it could be that something or somebody is aiming a signal at the Starliner and it's the speaker that it picking up that signal. Where over the world is the sound heard is my next question..... hummm Russia? or China?
    Reply
  • billslugg
    I listened to the noise and it occurs at one second intervals. Some sort of timing device leaking into the audio.
    Reply
  • Classical Motion
    It's trying to make sense of itself.
    Reply
  • Unclear Engineer
    Osbert, the reason NASA "released" the info is that the ISS to Earth transmission was captured by a third party, Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale, and shared on a public forum. It was then published by Ars Technica and the New York Post. So, NASA really didn't have any choice.

    Now, if they can just figure out what it is. One disturbing possibility is some sort of alarm for something on the capsule running down or running out. Boeing should be able to address that. But, it's Boeing we are talking about. It apparently was not part of their training for the crew.

    I really hope this capsule makes it down intact, so that it can be investigated thoroughly.

    Edit: Now NASA has released an explanation:

    Sept. 2 Update: NASA issued the following explanation on Monday for the strange noises: "A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped. The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner. The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback."
    Reply
  • penguin44
    On the Nasaspaceflight forums we all said this the day it happened. Audio feedback although my non serious guess was starliner crying.
    Reply
  • motie
    Has Chris Hadfield explained why the noise worries him?

    Did the noise just start recently? If it's acoustic feedback, it should have been there from the beginning.

    Why has it gone away? Did they fix it? Did it just randomly stop? I don't like problems that randomly stop.
    Reply
  • Osbert
    deleted said:
    NASA says it is "audio feedback" but it sure doesn't resemble anything like audio feedback. It sounds more like what comes from a submarine. But what sounds like that in outer space ?
    THIS!! >>>>>>>>>>>>> NASA says it is "audio feedback"
    Reply
  • Classical Motion
    Have you ever worked on old tube type PA amplifiers? Public address amplifiers.

    Ever hear of a term called motor boating? One can get fast motor boats and slow motor boats with feedback. The feedback only has to feed back electrically, not with air audio.
    Reply