NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were originally sent on an 8-day mission but ended up spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to unexpected technical issues.
Now, they are preparing to return to Earth before March 19 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, while debates continue over their compensation for the extended stay.
Do Astronauts Get Paid Overtime for Staying in Space?
According to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, astronauts do not receive any special overtime pay. Since they are government employees, their time in space is considered equivalent to standard official travel, meaning they continue to receive their regular salaries.
Additionally, NASA covers their food and accommodation expenses while in space.
However, astronauts do receive a small daily allowance, which, according to The Washingtonian, is just $4 per day.
For example, during Cady Coleman’s 159-day mission in 2010-11, she received an additional $636 in total allowances. Based on the same calculation, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, having spent 287 days in space, will receive approximately $1,148 in extra compensation.
Are Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore “Stranded”?
NASA has clarified that the astronauts are not technically “stranded” but are continuing their regular duties aboard the ISS. Both Williams and Wilmore are part of NASA’s Boeing Starliner test flight mission and are classified under the General Schedule (GS) pay system at the highest GS-15 grade, which is the top federal pay grade in the U.S.
How Much Do They Actually Earn?
Under GS-15 pay scales, astronauts earn a base salary between $125,133 and $162,672 per year. Based on their 9-month stay in space, Williams and Wilmore will earn between $93,850 and $122,004 in base salary.
If we add their extra allowance of $1,148, their total compensation for the year will range between $94,998 and $123,152.
New Crew Reaches ISS on SpaceX Dragon
Meanwhile, a new batch of astronauts has arrived at the ISS as part of the NASA SpaceX Crew-10 mission. The newly arrived crew includes:
- NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Aunapu Mann
- Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- Kirill Peskov from Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency)
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS at around 10 AM, ensuring a smooth crew rotation.
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