Mysterious “Pulsating Noise” Erupts from Boeing Starliner at ISS, Days Before Earth Return

A bizarre “pulsating noise” emanating from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft docked at the International Space Station (ISS) has raised concerns just days before the unmanned vessel is scheduled to return to Earth, Fox News reports.

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reported hearing the strange sound on Saturday, describing it as a “sonar ping” in a radio exchange with Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

A recording of the exchange, captured and shared by Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale, revealed a steady, pulsating sound emanating from the Starliner.

“Butch, that one came through,” Mission Control said after initially not hearing the sound. “It was kind of like a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping.”

Wilmore clarified that the sound was originating from the speaker inside the Starliner.

Mission Control assured Wilmore that they would investigate the source of the sound, promising to provide updates.

The unexpected noise comes as the Starliner, which is set to undock from the ISS and return to Earth on autopilot, has already been plagued with setbacks.

The mission, originally scheduled to bring back astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams for a weeklong trip in early June, has faced multiple delays due to thruster failures and helium leaks. As a result, NASA decided it was too risky to bring the astronauts back until February.

Boeing, which has poured considerable resources into the Starliner program, had hoped for a successful first crew trip to revive the troubled spacecraft. The company had maintained that Starliner was safe despite the delays and setbacks.

The emergence of this new, unexplained noise adds another layer of uncertainty to the Starliner program, raising questions about the spacecraft’s safety and reliability.