Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s Boeing spacecraft was giving off a strange, pulsating “sonar-like” pings

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore recently encountered a baffling situation aboard the International Space Station (ISS) when he reported a strange, rhythmic noise coming from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The incident, which occurred just days before the uncrewed Starliner was scheduled to return to Earth, has left both Wilmore and NASA engineers puzzled.

On Saturday, Wilmore radioed Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston, describing the noise as a "pulsating" or "sonar-like ping" that he could hear coming from the Starliner's internal speaker. Despite initial difficulty in picking up the sound, Mission Control eventually confirmed hearing it. "Butch, that one came through," they responded after the second attempt.
The noise, which repeated at regular intervals, was recorded by Wilmore and sent to the ground team for analysis. While the source of the sound remains unidentified, Wilmore humorously encouraged the engineers to "scratch your heads" and figure out what could be causing it.

The Boeing Starliner has been docked at the ISS since June, with Wilmore and fellow astronaut Sunita Williams initially on a one-week mission that has since been extended due to technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. These delays have pushed their return to Earth to February 2025, with the pair now set to travel back in a SpaceX Dragon capsule instead of the Starliner.
The mystery noise has sparked curiosity and concern as the spacecraft prepares for its unmanned return journey to Earth. NASA has yet to provide a definitive explanation, but the investigation continues as engineers work to ensure the Starliner’s safe return.

The spacecraft is expected to land in the New Mexico desert as early as Friday, marking a crucial step in Boeing’s ongoing efforts to certify the Starliner for regular crewed missions. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams remain focused on their extended mission aboard the ISS, continuing their vital work on scientific experiments and maintenance tasks while awaiting their eventual return to Earth.