Sunita Williams return
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore jet off towards the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 onboard a Boeing Starliner.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck in space since June 2024 because of a technical problem aboard the International Space Station (ISS), are scheduled to return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, reportedly by March 19. However, what’s drawing attention now is the potential compensation they could receive for their extended stay in space.
According to multiple reports, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are GS-15 federal government employees and hence their annual salary ranges from $125,133 to $162,672 (Rs 1.08 crore to Rs 1.41 crore).
However, as per retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman who was interviewed by Washingtonian, Williams and Wilmore might not be paid any special overtime salary for their extended stay in space which has been over nine months till now.
In the interview, Coleman said that “Astronauts are paid like any federal employee on a business trip. They get their regular salary, no overtime, and NASA takes care of transportation, lodging, and food.”
When asked whether Williams and Wilmore would receive overtime pay due to their mission extending beyond the planned eight days, NASA confirmed that the astronauts, who had been stranded in space for the past nine months due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner, are finally cleared to return. They are now scheduled to return no earlier than March 19 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
Coleman added “There is some small amount of money per day for incidentals that they end up being legally obligated to pay you.” She recalled that it was $4 (Rs 347) a day for her. As per this calculation, Williams and Wilmore could receive an extra amount of $1,148 (approximately Rs 1 lakh) each for their 287 days stay in space.