NASA, in a post on X, explained that the feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and Starliner.
“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,” NASA said via its @Commercial_Crew account.
According to NASA, the space station’s audio system is intricate, connecting various spacecraft and modules, which can often result in noise and feedback. Astronauts are routinely instructed to report unusual sounds to mission control.
The feedback sound reportedly had no impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s planned uncrewed undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 6.
Barry Wilmore initially reported the sound to Mission Control in Houston, Texas, and held a phone up to the speaker so they could hear it too. After some troubleshooting, Mission Control confirmed the sound, describing it as “a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping,” and agreed to investigate further.
Astronauts Wilmore and Sunita Williams arrived at the ISS on June 6, 2024, for Starliner’s flight test, which encountered issues like helium leaks and thruster problems. Initially planned as an eight-day mission, their stay has extended to nearly three months. They will now return to Earth in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule with NASA’s Crew 9.
Reflecting on the noise incident, Zac Aubert, founder of The Launch Pad, said, as quoted by Fox News, “For many of us, it was, ‘Oh, here we go again. Another day, another Starliner event.’ I can only imagine what it was like being on the station, hearing that sound coming from down the corridor. It probably felt pretty weird, but I’m glad it ended up being just a program set up wrong.”
NASA administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the importance of safety in the decision-making process, stating, as quoted by Fox News, “Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star. I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work.”
NASA announced last week that the Starliner capsule will return to Earth uncrewed as early as September 6, 2024.
Source : Times of India
