 "'Almost like a sonar ping ': Boeing's doomed Starliner emits 'strange' noises, making NASA 'scratch its head'")
Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule, which is currently docked at the International Space Station since June, is now reportedly emitting strange noises. On Saturday, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore detected some strange noises, which were coming from a speaker inside the spacecraft, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
“I’ve got a question about Starliner,” Wilmore told mission control in Houston. “There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker … I don’t know what’s making it,” he added. After some deliberation, Wilmore worked his way to make the mission control listen to the sound themselves. “Alright Butch, that one came through,” mission control radioed up to Wilmore. “It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping.”
NEWS: Boeing Starliner is now emitting strange noises.https://t.co/Eq9eTW1Ml2 pic.twitter.com/VfXMgWfsI0
— ALEX (@ajtourville) September 1, 2024
The reason behind the noise remains unclear.
While the audio of the back-and-forth between Wilmore and the mission circulated online, it is still unclear why the noises are coming out of the space capsule. “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 replied. “Alright, over to you. Call us if you figure it out,” he concluded.
A series of thrust failures and helium leaks in the new but problematic space capsule has left Wilmore and astronaut Sunita Williams stranded in the space station. Because of these technical difficulties, what should have been an eight-day mission has now been extended to eight months.
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View AllMeanwhile, Boeing’s rival, SpaceX’s Falcon 9, is due to launch two NASA astronauts in late September on a Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is expected to bring Wilmore and Williams home next year in February. Meanwhile, the damaged Starliner is expected to return to Earth with no crew aboard.
Keeping the plan in mind, NASA cut two astronauts from the next crew on Friday to make room for the two stuck at the International Space Station on the return trip. The space agency’s Nick Hague and a Russian astronaut will board a SpaceX rocket for the orbiting laboratory. The duo will then return with Williams and Wilmore.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were the ones who were bumped from the SpaceX flight to make room in the spacecraft. However, the American space agency assured them that they could fly on future missions. Over the years, Russia and the US have continued to trade seats, even as relations between the Kremlin and Washington deteriorate. Next month, NASA’s Don Pettit will be launching to the space station while NASA’s Tracy Dyson will be returning to Earth in Russian capsules.
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