Nasa solves mystery of 'strange noise' from Sunita Williams' Boeing Starliner spacecraft

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.