'Almost like a solar ping': Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore encounter strange sounds from Boeing Starliner

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore (Pic: AFP)

Troubles seem to be mounting for NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore as it is now being reported that the former heard strange sounds coming from the Boeing Starliner on Saturday. This development comes just days before the spacecraft is scheduled to leave for Earth without the crew.

Wilmore, who has been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) along with Williams for over three months now, in a recorded conversation with the NASA Mission Control in Houston, reported hearing an unusual, rhythmic noise from inside the Starliner.

According to the recording of the conversation shared by multiple users on X (formerly Twitter), Wilmore can be heard playing the strange sound to the NASA official, who confirms hearing it after missing it the first time. "Alright Butch, that one came through," the official is heard responding. "It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping."

Such sounds are not unprecedented in space. But the source of this sound remains unclear and the Mission Control has not issued any official comment. Social media users, however, had a field day after this development, guessing the source to be a "supernatural element" or an "alien".

When are the astronauts coming back?

Boeing Starliner is scheduled to return to Earth uncrewed on Friday, September 6. It was deemed to be "to risky" to bring the astronauts back due to helium leak and several technical issues. NASA announced that both Williams and Wilmore will now be brought back in February 2025 on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. They will continue their work formally as part of the expedition. This means what would have been a week-long test flight will now extend to around 8 months.

"Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September," NASA had said in a statement.

The astronauts, who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test, have been supporting station research, maintenance, and Starliner system testing and data analysis, among other activities.

Due to this extended stay in space, they are also at risk of various health issues.

Also Read: Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore stuck in space: How can it affect their health? Experts explain