--- title: "Biden Muses That He Could Be Sent to Space to Rescue Stranded Astronauts" description: "President Joe Biden is ready to hop on a space rocket and rescue the two NASA astronauts, who have been stranded on board the ISS." date: "2024-11-19" modified: "2024-11-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/biden-muses-space-rescue-stranded-astronauts" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "international space station" - "joe biden" - "NASA" - "starliner" - "the digest" --- # Biden Muses That He Could Be Sent to Space to Rescue Stranded Astronauts ![President Joe Biden is ready to hop on a space rocket and rescue the two NASA astronauts, who have been stranded on board the ISS.]() *\Image: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images\* ## Sure Grandpa President Joe Biden is ready to hop on a space rocket and rescue the two NASA astronauts who have been [stranded on board the International Space Station]() since June. The octogenarian made the tongue-in-cheek remarks during the APEC economic conference in Peru last week. "Every time my wife thinks I’m getting out of hand, she says, ‘I’m going to call \[Nelson\] and have him send you to space," Biden joked while addressing the audience, as [quoted by the *New York Post*](). He was referring to NASA administrator Bill Nelson, who attended Biden's meeting with Peruvian president Dina Boluarte. "And I’m a little concerned he may want to send me to space because we got to get some folks back home!" he added. ## Let's Get You to Bed Of course, Biden isn't in any condition to even foot inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The 81-year-old's health has deteriorated considerably, leading to him infamously [mumbling his way through answers]() at the June 27 presidential debate with president-elect Donald Trump on *CNN*. Meanwhile, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are patiently awaiting their ride back home after Boeing's Starliner spacecraft [suffered major technical glitches]() during their trip to space. The capsule [returned to the surface]() [without them]() in September after NASA [deemed the journey too risky]() for Wilmore and Williams. Instead, the pair will return [on board SpaceX's Crew Dragon]() in February, stretching what was supposed to be an eight-day journey into an eight-month one. In short, it certainly won't be Biden who will come to their rescue; it'll be the crew of SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, who arrived at the ISS on September 29 with two empty seats earmarked for Wilmore and Williams' return. **More on Starliner:** *[Stranded NASA Astronaut Hits Back Against Comments About Her Weight]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()