Nasa explains away strange noise heard by astronaut in Boeing’s Starliner

There’s nothing to see here, or hear here, actually. That is the message Nasa gave after reports of a strange noise heard by astronaut Butch Wilmore emanating from Boeing’s Starliner docked to the International Space Station (ISS) at the weekend.

“A pulsing sound from a speaker in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft heard by Nasa astronaut Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station has stopped,” Nasa posted to its social media accounts on Monday.

It explained the mystery noise as feedback from the speaker that was the result of an audio configuration between the spacecraft and the ISS. Wilmore reported the sound as he was working inside Starliner on Saturday.

“The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback,” Nasa said. “The crew is asked to contact mission control when they hear sounds originating in the comm system.”

Nasa also took the opportunity to confirm the feedback has “no technical impact to the crew, Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s uncrewed undocking from the station no earlier than Friday, September 6”.