Stranded Astronaut Reports Eerie Sound from Boeing Spacecraft—NASA Explains

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The Boeing Starliner spacecraft, docked at the International Space Station (ISS), has been emitting alarming sounds, causing concern among the astronauts onboard. On Saturday morning, astronaut Butch Wilmore, currently stranded on the ISS with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, reported hearing a mysterious “pulsing” and “clanging” noise from the spacecraft. The unsettling sound was described as resembling a sonar ping.

The report, which quickly gained attention on social media, prompted NASA to release a statement addressing the issue. According to NASA, the strange sound was the result of an audio feedback loop caused by the complex audio configuration between the ISS and the Starliner. “The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations,” NASA assured.

Wilmore and Williams, who were only supposed to be on an eight-day mission, have been stranded on the ISS since June due to helium leaks in the Starliner, which have also caused the thrusters to malfunction. While the Starliner is scheduled to undock on September 6 and return to Earth unmanned, the two astronauts will remain on the ISS until early next year, when a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is expected to bring them home.