When it leaves the International Space Station next Friday, Boeing's troubled Starliner crew capsule may not be going quietly into the night. The spacecraft started making a funny noise on Saturday shortly after it was announced that Boeing would attempt to return the vehicle autonomously to Earth on Sept. 6. Astronaut Butch Wilmore, who rode Starliner to the ISS three months ago on an eight day mission with Suni Williams, heard a strange pulsing noise coming through a speaker that he played for mission control. "Alright Butch, that one came through," Mission control radioed up to Wilmore. "It was kind of like a pulsing noise, almost like a sonar ping." A recording of the sound was posted by Michigan meteorologist Rob Dale.
Those are the early sounds of a âHeart Attackâ. Starliner is dying. I think I would close the airlock, just incase Starliner accidentally shoots itself off into oblivion.
I imagine the guys on the ground at Mission Control have now experienced what automobile mechanics deal with every day.
"Hi, yeah, my car is making this noise, umm, kinda like a âthumpy, eeeoooowww, squeekey, boooshy, ran-rang sound, you know what I mean, right? Can I pick it up this afternoon?â*
They should just load about 400lbs of Space Station trash in Starliner and send it home. That should about equal the intended occupants and whatever stuff they haul along with them. No need to reprogram anything that way. Close the hatch and kick it loose.
Possibly the muffled, but banging sound of a stowaway? You know, another Boeing whistle blower who thought the Starliner was a safe place to hide from the âsuiciders squadâ!
I think mission control nailed it. Sounds just like a WWII sonar ping from a destroyer attempting to track an enemy submarine. Pretty appropriate for this mission! Torpedoed!
