A US astronaut, currently stranded on the space station, has reported hearing strange noises. Listen to the audio and explore the potential causes behind these mysterious sounds.

On Saturday, Butch Wilmore, a NASA astronaut reported to mission control that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was emitting an uncommon pulsating sound as it remained stuck. The origin of this noise remains unexplained by both the agency and staff monitoring on Earth.

In June, Wilmore and Suni Williams embarked on the first manned voyage of the Starliner to reach the International Space Station (ISS). Unfortunately, issues with thrusters and helium leaks have left their spacecraft anchored at ISS without a safe return path back to Earth. This predicament has forced them both into an extended stay onboard until next year when a SpaceX Dragon capsule can transport them home.

On Saturday, Wilmore allegedly communicated through radio to the Johnson Space Center in Texas that a peculiar sound emanated from the Starliner.

Mission control was informed by Wilmore that he had a query regarding Starliner. He disclosed, “There appears to be an unusual sound emanating from the speaker…I can’t place its origin.”

Wilmore raised his microphone towards the speaker until mission control picked up on the recurring sound resembling a gong.

“Got it, Butch. We received a pulsing sound that resembled a sonar ping,” mission control responded.

“I will attempt it once more, and then allow you all to ponder the situation and try to comprehend what is happening,” stated Wilmore. The mysterious sound echoed again before he added, “The rest of this perplexing enigma is now in your hands. Please feel free to contact us if a resolution arises.”

It is possible for anyone possessing a VHF receiver along with a high-gain antenna to tune into radio transmissions from the ISS. American meteorologist Rob Dale managed to capture and share a recording of Wilmore’s communication exchange with mission control on Saturday via an online space travel forum.

Boeing’s Starliner project experienced several setbacks and exceeded its budget by $1.5 billion prior to taking off in June. Originally planned for a crewed flight in 2017, the launch date was repeatedly postponed due to technical malfunctions and certification obstacles until May of this year. The spacecraft faced further delays when a helium leak occurred within its propulsion system resulting in multiple cancelled launches throughout that month. Despite these challenges, Boeing ultimately deemed the “small” helium leakage non-threatening to flight safety and cleared it for spaceflight.

On their way to the ISS, four helium leaks and issues with five thrusters were reported by the crew of the Starliner spacecraft. Soon after that, another leak was discovered. Despite Boeing’s claims about its safety, NASA stated last week that it will return without any crew on board while Wilmore and Williams will be back in February through a capsule operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX – one of Boeing’s key competitors.