[UPDATED] Strange Sonar Noises From Starliner Were Caused By A Speaker In The Capsule

On Saturday, 31 August, Butch Wilmore, one of the two astronauts aboard the Starliner, reached out to Johnson Space Center in Houston. He was concerned about a “strange noise” coming from Boeing’s spacecraft.

“I’ve got a question about Starliner. There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker and I didn’t know if you can connect into the Starliner. I don’t know what’s making it,” the astronaut said.

Capsule’s Speaker Was The Reason

Updated on 4th September

The unusual noise coming from Starliner has been traced to feedback from one of the capsule’s speakers. This issue seems to be caused by an audio setup conflict between the ISS and Starliner.

As NASA stated, the feedback reported by Wilmore has no technical impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations and will not affect the ship’s return.

What Did Mission Control Say?

Mission control assured Butch that they could find a way to play the sound. Wilmore then held the phone up to the Starliner’s speakers.

After an unsuccessful first try, Butch played the sound again, and this time it was successfully received by mission control.

“Butch, we got it that time. It sounded like a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping,” they said.

Mission control also responded that they were connected via “hardline” to monitor the audio inside Starliner, which has been docked to the International Space Station for almost three months. During its flight to the space station, Starliner communicates using a radio frequency system. However, once docked, audio is transmitted through a hardline umbilical connection.

“Good recording, thanks, Butch. ‘We will pass it onto the team and let you know what we find,” mission control replied. 

“Alright, over to you. Call us if you figure it out,” Wilmore said.

Recording Of The Noise

Ars Technica was the first to report Wilmore’s call to Houston. The recording was captured and shared by Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale.

What Was That?

The source of the strange, somewhat eerie noise was not immediately clear. This weekend’s sonar-like noises likely have a harmless explanation, and Wilmore did not seem overly concerned. However, these unusual sounds are noteworthy given the issues Boeing and NASA have faced with the Starliner’s first crewed flight, such as helium leaks and failing thrusters.

Last week, NASA announced that due to concerns about Starliner’s ability to fly, it would return to Earth without its original crew, Wilmore and Sunita Williams.

Starliner is now set to return to Earth on its own on Friday, 6 September. Wilmore and Williams will return next February on a Crew Dragon spacecraft, scheduled to launch with just two astronauts later this month.