NASA responds to 'pulsing sound' from Starliner

LOS ANGELES — NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station, or ISS, in June, have reported repetitive "pulsing sound" coming from the spacecraft, NASA confirmed on Monday.

The two astronauts called the NASA ground crew on Saturday asking for help with the sound, according to US media reports, citing audio recordings between astronauts and the Mission Control Center in Houston.

"A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped," NASA Commercial Crew said on X.

The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner, according to NASA.

The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback, said NASA.

"The crew is asked to contact Mission Control (Center) when they hear sounds originating in the communications system. The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner's uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, Sept 6," said NASA.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to leave the ISS on Sept 6 and return to Earth with no astronauts onboard.

Last week, NASA removed two astronauts from the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams awaiting ride back home at the space station.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch no earlier than Sept 24 on the Crew-9 mission to the station. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, previously announced as crewmates, will be reassigned on a future mission, according to NASA.

The updated crew complement followed NASA's decision to return the Boeing Crew Flight Test uncrewed and launch Crew-9 with two unoccupied seats.

Wilmore and Williams will fly home with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025.

The two were Boeing's first crew, arriving at the space station in June for what was supposed to be a weeklong stay.

Xinhua - Agencies