NASA Astronauts Stuck in Space Report Hearing ‘Strange Noise’
In the days leading up to the Boeing Starliner’s scheduled return to Earth, astronaut Butch Wilmore reported a strange noise coming from the capsule’s speaker system. During a communication with Mission Control, he shared his concerns about the anomaly, which was characterized as a distinct “pinging” sound, resembling sonar. Despite attempts to investigate, no clear explanation for the noise was provided. The Starliner is set to return to Earth without its crew, as safety concerns have prompted NASA to conduct the operation autonomously, with ground crews in control. Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams, who were initially part of the Starliner’s crew when it arrived at the space station, will remain there until their planned return in February 2025. Safety discussions between NASA and Boeing about the risk of sending astronauts back on the Starliner resulted in the decision to forego a crewed return.
Days before the troubled Boeing Starliner is scheduled to fly to Earth, a noise was reported aboard the capsule.
“I’ve got a question about Starliner,” astronaut Butch Wilmore said Saturday as he hailed Mission Control, according to ArsTechnica.
“There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker … I don’t know what’s making it,” he said.
Wilmer wanted the Houston experts to hear what he was hearing, wondering at one point if it was an anomaly in the connection between the space station and the Starliner.
According to a recording of what came next, a distinctive, audible pinging sound came when he put his microphone up to the connection from Starliner.
NEWS: Boeing Starliner is now emitting strange noises.https://t.co/Eq9eTW1Ml2 pic.twitter.com/VfXMgWfsI0
— ALEX (@ajtourville) September 1, 2024
“Alright Butch, that one came through,” Mission Control said. “It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping.”
“I’ll do it one more time, and I’ll let y’all scratch your heads and see if you can figure out what’s going on,” Wilmore said.
After another round of pings, Wilmore ended the conversation.
“Alright, over to you. Call us if you figure it out,” he said.
As of Monday, no explanation had bene given for the noise.
There are several noises I’d prefer not to hear inside my spaceship, including this one that @Boeing Starliner is now making. pic.twitter.com/NMMPMo5dtt
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) September 1, 2024
On Friday, the Starliner is scheduled to depart the space station. It will not carry Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Instead, NASA will bring Starliner home on autopilot, with ground crews on Earth at the controls.
Although Wilmore and Williams rode the craft to the space station in June in what was supposed to be a short mission, they have remained on the space station due to concerns with the Starliner’s safety.
Safety concerns led to the decision to send the Starliner back this week without its crew, while the astronauts are currently scheduled to return to Earth in February.
Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, said talks between NASA and Boeing over putting the astronauts on the Starliner for their return “came down to a little disagreement about risk,” according to the New York Post.
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