Starliner's speaker began emitting strange sonar noises on Saturday

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore reported strange noises from the Starliner spacecraft while docked at the International Space Station. He inquired with Mission Control, prompting them to listen in through a hardline connection. An audible pinging sound was noted, described as "kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping."

The source of the noise remains unclear, but it likely has a benign explanation. Past missions have seen astronauts encounter unusual sounds. Wilmore remains calm despite challenges faced by Starliner, which will autonomously return to Earth on September 6, with Wilmore and another astronaut scheduled to return in February aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft.