NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reports 'strange noise' coming from Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, 'I don't know what's making it

[Admin]

The eerie sound was likened to a pulsing sonar-like ping.

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reports 'strange noise' coming from Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, 'I don't know what's making it : Read more

 

[jan.wolitzky]

Sounds like the auto-destruct sequence countdown... ;-)

 

[Osbert]

Back in college, long time ago, I was doing homework. Seated alone at the computer I began to hear a voice coming from my speakers. It was only 1/2 of a conversation. After listening to some old guy, obviously talking to another old guy, for 45 minutes or so, I finally got a phone number.... POINT is..... a neighbor living very near me, had a radio transmitter hooked up and everytime one of them spoke, I could hear it. WHICH MEANS >>> There's something nearby that is transmitting that signal. Most likely on the Starliner itself. The "device" should be investigated by some (3) letter GOV agency and NASA. As soon as it "lands", if it lands. It's very interesting to say the least. Very surprised they even released this info. BUT, it could be that something or somebody is aiming a [tracking] signal at the Starliner and it's the speaker that it picking up that signal. Where over the world is the sound heard is my next question..... hummm Russia? or China?

 

[billslugg]

I listened to the noise and it occurs at one second intervals. Some sort of timing device leaking into the audio.

 

[Classical Motion]

It's trying to make sense of itself.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

Osbert, the reason NASA "released" the info is that the ISS to Earth transmission was captured by a third party, Michigan-based meteorologist Rob Dale, and shared on a public forum. It was then published by Ars Technica and the New York Post. So, NASA really didn't have any choice.

Now, if they can just figure out what it is. One disturbing possibility is some sort of alarm for something on the capsule running down or running out. Boeing should be able to address that. But, it's Boeing we are talking about. It apparently was not part of their training for the crew.

I really hope this capsule makes it down intact, so that it can be investigated thoroughly.

Edit: Now NASA has released an explanation:

Sept. 2 Update: NASA issued the following explanation on Monday for the strange noises: "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. The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback."

 

[penguin44]

On the Nasaspaceflight forums we all said this the day it happened. Audio feedback although my non serious guess was starliner crying.

 

[motie]

Has Chris Hadfield explained why the noise worries him?

Did the noise just start recently? If it's acoustic feedback, it should have been there from the beginning.

Why has it gone away? Did they fix it? Did it just randomly stop? I don't like problems that randomly stop.

 

[rlang]

NASA says it is "audio feedback" but it sure doesn't resemble anything like audio feedback. It sounds more like what comes from a submarine. But what sounds like that in outer space ?

 

[Osbert]

NASA says it is "audio feedback" but it sure doesn't resemble anything like audio feedback. It sounds more like what comes from a submarine. But what sounds like that in outer space ?

THIS!! >>>>>>>>>>>>> NASA says it is "audio feedback"

 

[Classical Motion]

Have you ever worked on old tube type PA amplifiers? Public address amplifiers.

Ever hear of a term called motor boating? One can get fast motor boats and slow motor boats with feedback. The feedback only has to feed back electrically, not with air audio.