NASA addresses 'Strange Noise' from Boeing Starliner; Confirms no risk to crew, mission
NASA has responded to concerns surrounding an unexplained noise coming from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, currently in space with astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on board. The noise, detected by Wilmore from one of the spacecraft's speakers, was reported to Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday. The incident gained widespread attention after meteorologist Rob Dale captured and shared an audio clip of the exchange, which quickly went viral.
In a statement released on Monday, NASA assured that the "strange noise" is a "common" occurrence and poses no risk to the crew or the spacecraft. "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 space agency confirmed, as reported by USA Today. NASA emphasized that the Starliner remains on track for its planned unmanned return to Earth.
The noise, according to NASA, was the result of feedback from the audio setup connecting the Starliner to the International Space Station. "The audio system of the space station is intricate, enabling the interconnection of numerous spacecraft and modules, and noise and feedback are frequent occurrences," the statement explained.
NASA also noted that the crew has been advised to contact mission control if they notice any unusual sounds from the communication system. The feedback reported by Wilmore, NASA assured, has no technical impact on the crew, the Starliner, or station operations, including Starliner’s scheduled uncrewed undocking from the station, which is set for no earlier than Friday, September 6.
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KSRTC introduces gender ticketing in buses across Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The KSRCTC on Saturday began implementing gender ticketing in buses operating across the state.
According to a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) circular issued on Friday, the gender ticketing system is intended to record whether a passenger is a woman, a man or a child in tickets issued on KSRTC buses from Saturday.
To facilitate the system, Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) have been updated.
The circular stated that conductors in all KSRTC depots should record the gender category of passengers while issuing tickets through the ETMs.
Options for women, men, and children have been included in the ETMs to identify passenger categories when issuing tickets.
The printed tickets generated by the ETMs will also indicate the passenger's category, officials said.
The UDF had promised free KSRTC travel for women across the state during the Assembly election campaign.
UDF, which won 102 of 140 seats, would soon form the government after the Congress party finalises the discussion on the next Chief Minister.
The introduction of gender ticketing is being viewed as an effort to estimate the number of women travelling daily on KSRTC buses before implementing the poll promise.
Some conductors have reportedly raised concerns over the additional time required to record passenger details, especially during rush hours.
