Nasa solves mystery of 'strange noise' from Sunita Williams' Boeing Starliner spacecraft, says 'it does not...'

NASA has identified the mysterious sound emanating from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft as feedback from a speaker, reassuring that it does not impact the capsule’s mission. 

Despite concerns, NASA confirmed that the spacecraft's autonomous return to Earth is still on track, with undocking planned for as early as Friday.

The noise, which was described by Mission Control as a "pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping," was caused by an audio configuration between the space station and the Starliner. NASA addressed the issue in a statement, explaining that such feedback is common and poses no risk to the spacecraft or its operations. "The speaker feedback has no technical impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations," NASA stated. The noise, which had been a point of concern, has now ceased.

This incident was brought to public attention after an audio recording surfaced, revealing a conversation between astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Mission Control. In the recording, Wilmore reported hearing a "strange noise" coming from the spacecraft's speaker, expressing uncertainty about its origin. Mission Control, operating from Johnson Space Center in Houston, acknowledged the sound and assured Wilmore that they would investigate the matter further. The exchange highlighted the seriousness with which such anomalies are treated, even when they appear to be minor.

Former astronaut Chris Hadfield weighed in on the situation, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that the sound was one of several he would prefer not to hear inside a spaceship. The unusual nature of the noise, coupled with its unknown origin at the time, sparked widespread interest and concern among space enthusiasts and the general public.

The Starliner, which launched on June 5 for its first crewed mission, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6. The mission, originally intended to last around 10 days, was extended multiple times due to an issue with the capsule’s thruster system. After evaluating the situation, NASA decided that Wilmore and his fellow astronaut, Sunita Williams, would return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025, instead of the Starliner.

The Boeing Starliner is now set to return to Earth uncrewed, with undocking scheduled for no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT on September 6 (3:34 a.m. IST). 

The capsule is expected to land at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, concluding its troubled mission.