Starliner Emits Creepy Sonar-Like Noises

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reported unusual noises emanating from a speaker inside the Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked at the International Space Station (ISS). Wilmore, who has been aboard the ISS for nearly three months, contacted Mission Control in Houston to describe the sound, which he compared to a sonar ping. The audio was recorded and confirmed by Mission Control, although the exact cause of the noise remains unclear.

The Starliner, which has been docked to the ISS since early June, is scheduled to undock and return to Earth uncrewed on September 6. The decision to send the spacecraft back without a crew was influenced by concerns over helium leaks and thruster malfunctions encountered during its first crewed flight. The two astronauts currently on the ISS, including Wilmore, are slated to return to Earth via SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft in February 2025.