Boeing Starliner noises: Astronauts stuck in space raise alarm over strange 'sonar ping' sounds that sound like a heartbeat - NASA explains

Nasa astronaut Butch Wilmore reported a “strange noise” coming from the Boeing Starliner space capsule whose problems have left him and colleague Suni Williams stuck in orbit for six months longer than they anticipated when they blasted off from earth in June. Wilmore radioed mission control in Houston on Saturday (31 August) to report a pulsing sound from a speaker inside the capsule.

He said: “I’ve got a question about Starliner. There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker … I don’t know what’s making it.”

During the search for what was behind the noise, Wilmore asked Houston flight controllers to see if they could listen. But, ultimately Wilmore, apparently floating in Starliner, had to put his microphone up to the speaker.

“Alright Butch, that one came through,” Mission control radioed Wilmore. “It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping.” Wilmore radioed back: “I’ll let y’all scratch your heads and see if you can figure out what’s going on … Call us if you figure it out.”

The strange noises were described by some as sounding like heartbeats. One user wrote on X: “Sorry but why isn’t absolutely every single person talking about the fact that those two astronauts that are stuck in Space are now hearing mysterious heartbeat sounds and no one know what it is.“

Members of the public were equally concerned and likened the sonar sounds to a "horror show". Other references to popular, space-based horror films were made by worried members of the public. One wrote: "Nope. I've seen Event Horizon. Get rid of it." Another joked:" Have they tried turning it off and on again?".

NASA Commercial Crew has since posted on X explaining what the “strange noises” were. It said: “A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft heard by NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped. The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner. 

“The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback. The crew is asked to contact mission control when they hear sounds originating in the comm system. The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, Sept. 6.”