Starliner Spacecraft Emits Unknown Sonar Noises
Despite how much we have already done with our attempts at space exploration, there is still so much we do not know about what transpires beyond our planet. One certainty we do know is that it still contains many risks due to how much that can go wrong with limited options for addressing it. The Starliner spacecraft is currently experiencing such issues as this week bizarre pulsing noises began emitting from the craft’s speaker.
Odd Sounds In Space
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are currently onboard the Starliner and neither one knew what to make of the noises.
Over the weekend, Wilmore radioed down to Mission Control on Earth to get their opinion on the matter. He held his microphone close to the speaker and let them listen to the odd sounds.
Somewhat Concerning?
“There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker … I don’t know what’s making it,” Wilmore said of the situation aboard the spacecraft.
The conversation was recorded and shared with the general public so that others could hear the unusual audio as well. Somewhat concerning, even Mission Control did not know what to make of Starliner’s speaker beginning to pick up these noises.
No Starliner For Return Journey
“Alright Butch, that one came through,” Mission Control responded upon hearing Starliner’s unusual noises. “It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping.”
Neither Mission Control nor the astronauts of Starliner knew what the cause was, but it was apparently ominous enough that they took it seriously and deemed Starliner too questionable to use for the return journey.
Malfunctioning?
Starliner will now be returning to Earth autonomously on September 6th. Williams and Wilmore will not be returning to Earth aboard it but will instead remain in space until February, when they will return home on a different craft set to launch soon.
The highest likelihood is that the sounds are not indicative of anything serious. However, when the astronauts would have depended on Starliner to bring them home safely, NASA did not take any chances when it came to the noises.
The most significant fear is that the unusual noises indicate a malfunction in the craft that could compromise its safety.
Not The First Noises
Starliner is not the first spacecraft to be reported as making unusual noises. In 2003, during China’s first mission featuring a human in space, the astronaut reported hearing odd sounds emitting from the spacecraft.
He described them as like a wooden hammer hitting a metal bucket. Afterwards it was determined that this was due to deformities that had been created in the craft due to the disparity in pressure on the outside of the vessel versus the inside.
NASA Needs To Know Severity
Once Starliner returns to Earth, it will no doubt be investigated to track down the source of the noises.
If a malfunction indeed caused the sonar-like sounds, it could be very important for NASA to learn the severity of it, what consequences it could have caused, and how to avoid it in the future.
Fortunately for Williams and Wilmore, the anomaly was detected before it became something they had to worry about jeopardizing their return home. Whatever is causing the Starliner to emit these strange noises creates a risk, and with how much can go wrong in space, any new risk is something to be taken seriously.
Source: Ars Technica
