In yet another troubling chapter for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have reported alarming noises emanating from the troubled vehicle, raising fresh concerns about the spacecraft’s performance. The strange sounds, described as both a “pulsing” and a “clanging,” were first reported on Saturday morning by astronaut Butch Wilmore, who, along with fellow astronaut Suni Williams, remains stuck on the ISS due to the Starliner’s persistent issues.
The distressing sounds were brought to light after a recorded interaction between Wilmore and NASA’s ground control was posted on a NASA Space Flight forum. In the recording, Wilmore urgently asked NASA’s Houston-based crew to identify the bizarre noises, which one Earthside crew member speculated might sound “almost like a sonar ping.”
As news of these unsettling developments spread across social media, NASA quickly released a statement attempting to downplay the situation. “The feedback from the speaker was the result of an audio configuration between the space station and the Starliner,” NASA stated. “The space station audio system is complex, allowing multiple spacecraft and modules to be interconnected, and it is common to experience noise and feedback. The speaker feedback Wilmore reported has no technical impact on the crew, Starliner, or station operations.”
Despite NASA’s reassurances, the incident adds to a growing list of issues that have plagued Boeing’s Starliner since its maiden crewed voyage in June. The spacecraft, which was once touted as a competitor to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, has been anything but reliable. Wilmore and Williams, who were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, have now been stranded on the ISS for over two months due to multiple technical failures.
The root of their extended stay? Helium leaks that were known before launch but were apparently more severe than anticipated. These leaks have caused the spacecraft’s thrusters to malfunction, preventing a safe return to Earth. The situation has forced NASA to delay their retrieval until February, leaving the astronauts trapped aboard the ISS for nearly eight months—over 30 times their planned stay.
This debacle is a significant black eye for Boeing, which has struggled to keep pace with SpaceX in the new era of commercial spaceflight. While Elon Musk’s SpaceX has consistently delivered on its promises, safely ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS with its Crew Dragon capsules, Boeing’s Starliner has been mired in setbacks and technical failures. The contrast couldn’t be starker, and it raises serious questions about Boeing’s capability to compete in the high-stakes arena of space exploration.
As the Starliner is currently scheduled to undock and return to Earth without a crew on September 6, the focus will be on whether Boeing can execute even this relatively simple maneuver without incident. For now, Wilmore and Williams will remain on the ISS, awaiting their eventual ride home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule early next year.
In a time when American exceptionalism in space is being reasserted, Boeing’s continued missteps serve as a sobering reminder that not all players in this new space race are up to the task. The safety and reliability of our astronauts should never be compromised, and as this situation unfolds, it’s clear that Boeing has a lot to prove.
