NASA identifies mystery sound after stranded astronaut shared concerns over ‘strange noise’ on spacecraft

NASA has revealed what caused the 'pulsing noise' from a speaker onboard the Starliner spacecraft.

On Saturday (August 31), NASA's Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston received a radio call from astronaut Butch Wilmore, who reported a 'strange noise' coming from a speaker inside the Starliner spacecraft.

Wilmore had arrived at the International Space Station via the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test on June 6 - where he and fellow astronaut, Suni Williams, will now remain until February 2025 as a result of the capsule malfunctioning.

However, while settling in for his longer than planned stay in space, Wilmore reported hearing something weird.

An audio recording of his radio call into Mission Control revealed the astronaut asking to be connected to Starliner to try and figure out the source of a 'strange noise'. And while the team back on earth were unable to listen into the spacecraft, Wilmore managed to share the sound - described by Mission Control as 'like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping'.

Wilmore asked Mission Control to look into the noise and let him know once they'd figured out what it was and NASA's Commercial Crew has since released a statement on social media having since identified what it was.

This is terrifying: NASA's Starliner crew, who are stuck in space, reported hearing strange 'sonar-like noises' emanating from their craft on September 1, 2024.

A somewhat eerie noise started to emit from the Starliner spacecraft, and astronaut Butch Wilmore said to Mission… pic.twitter.com/tnt222p1eg

— Vicky Verma (@Unexplained2020) September 1, 2024

Taking to Twitter on September 2, NASA Commercial Crew updated the 'pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped'.

It continued: "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."

NASA added if any member of crew hears 'sounds originating in the comm system' they're 'asked to contact mission control'.

It reassured: "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."

Indeed, Starliner is expected to undock from the space station on September 6 to begin its journey home to earth, landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

Wilmore and Williams will no longer be onboard the spacecraft like originally planned as a result of it experiencing 'helium leaks' and 'issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters' when approaching the orbiting laboratory at the space station on June 6, NASA reports.

The two astronauts will subsequently remain at the station until February 2025 when they'll return to earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.