At the APEC summit in Peru, President Joe Biden joked about being sent to space to rescue two American astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly seven months. The astronauts, who were initially scheduled for an eight-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner, have been unable to return due to a malfunction with the capsule, which departed without them. They are now expected to remain in space until February, when Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will finally bring them home.
Speaking with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, Biden made the remark after spotting NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in the crowd. He humorously suggested that his wife might one day send him to space if he misbehaves. “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. “And I’m a little concerned he may want to send me to space because we got to get some folks back home!”
Boluarte responded with a polite laugh to Biden’s lighthearted comment. The US president also took the opportunity to acknowledge Peru for signing the US-led Artemis Accords, a set of standards for space exploration, and for securing a research rocket agreement with the United States.
Biden’s trip to South America came just a day after his meeting with former President Donald Trump at the White House, where they discussed ongoing issues in Gaza, Lebanon, and Ukraine.
The comment about the stranded astronauts came amid growing concerns over the leaking International Space Station. Tensions between the US and Russia’s Roscosmos space agency have escalated, as both sides struggle to reach an agreement over the issue. Former NASA astronaut Bob Cabana revealed that the US has raised concerns about the structural integrity of a leaking module on the ISS, warning of a potential catastrophic failure.
However, the Russian team has a different view. Cabana noted that they do not believe catastrophic disintegration is likely. “The Russian team continues to search for and seal the leaks, but it does not believe catastrophic disintegration of the PrK is realistic,” he said.
The leak, first detected in 2019, originates from a section controlled by Russia. Reports indicate that it has resulted in the loss of air at a rate of 1.7 kilograms per day.
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