NASA Faces More Controversy as Clips of Mysterious Sounds From the Starliner go Viral

The Mysterious Noise From Starliner That Raised Alarm

Following the malfunction of Starliner that forced NASA to leave two astronauts on the International Space Station, the spacecraft has one again come under the spotlight after clips of 'strange noise' coming from it went viral. Amidst controversy surrounding NASA seeking help from Elon Musk's SpaceX, this unsettling sound attracted significant attention. Although the agency stated that it was diligently investigating the issue and working to resolve it, this situation made the public question whether Boeing's spacecraft was ready for future missions.

Criticism Grows Louder Amidst Peculiar Noise

The unusual sound from the spacecraft was recorded and shared by Michigan meteorologist Rob Dale and was first reported by Ars Technica. Wilmore had told Newsweek , "I had a question about Starliner. There was a strange noise coming through the speaker; I didn’t know what was making it. It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping." Speaker feedback between the space station and Starliner is believed to be the cause for the pulsing sound on the spacecraft. But this isn't the first time such noises have been heard from a spacecraft, sine Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei reported hearing a noise similar to a wooden hammer hitting an iron bucket back in 2003.

NASA Investigates the Source

Knewz.com noted that after the noises were recorded and surfaced online, NASA set up an investigation panel to find out the cause. The team also checked if the sound was caused by a technical glitch, as their main goal was to ensure the spacecraft worked properly. According to Newsweek , "The speaker feedback Wilmore reported had no technical impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner's uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, September 6." After Wilmore played the sound again, the operator said, "Great recording. We'll share it with the team and let you know what we find out."

NASA Officials Mitigate Bad Publicity

After the viral audio scared people, NASA assured the public that it was carefully checking Starliner's performance and safety. According to USA Today , NASA's statement released on Monday said, "A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station, had stopped." Although Boeing's Starliner was scheduled to return with its astronauts, problems with the capsule led NASA to announce that Wilmore and Williams would now return with SpaceX's Crew-9 mission in February 2025.

Boeing's Starliner Under Scrutiny

Boeing's Starliner faced major failures in the past, leading to scrutiny against the firm and its spacecraft. Issues included problems during the initial test flight in 2019, delays in missions in 2021, and technical glitches in 2022. Jonathan Clark, a clinical professor at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Space Medicine and former crew surgeon for six Space Shuttle missions, told The Deccan Herald , "The most reliable spacecraft out there was the Crew Dragon. It was all about getting experience and having a robust, proven system — and at that time, that was Crew Dragon."