Despite spending nearly 287 days in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will receive no extra overtime pay, except for a small daily stipend.
March 16, 2025: New Delhi:
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, along with Butch Wilmore, embarked on what was initially an eight-day mission but ended up spending over nine months on the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
As they prepare to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than March 19, speculation about their compensation for the prolonged stay has been making headlines.
💰 How Much Will NASA Pay Sunita Williams?
🛰️ Base Salary:
Sunita Williams is classified under GS-15, the highest pay grade for federal employees under the General Schedule (GS) system.
✔ Annual Salary: $125,133 – $162,672 (₹1.08 Cr – ₹1.41 Cr)
✔ 9-Month Salary (prorated): $93,850 – $122,004 (₹81 Lakh – ₹1.05 Cr)
✔ Total Earnings (Including Incidentals): $94,998 – $123,152 (₹82 Lakh – ₹1.06 Cr)
📌 No Extra Overtime Pay For Astronauts
Unlike other professionals who receive overtime for extended work hours, NASA astronauts are not given additional bonuses for prolonged missions.
🔹 Their work in space is treated like a regular work trip on Earth.
🔹 They continue to receive their base salary, and NASA covers all living expenses aboard the ISS.
🔹 The only extra compensation is a small daily stipend of $4 (~₹350 per day).
👉 For 287 days in space, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will receive just $1,148 (~₹1 Lakh) in extra pay.
🚀 What Led to Their 9-Month Stay?
🔸 Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were part of NASA’s Boeing Starliner test flight.
🔸 Due to propulsion issues with the spacecraft, their return was delayed multiple times.
🔸 NASA then approved a replacement crew mission via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
On March 16, NASA’s Crew-10 mission successfully docked at the ISS, bringing in fresh astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov to take over their duties.
🛬 When Will Sunita Williams Return?
NASA has scheduled their return on the SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than March 19, 2025.
Upon landing in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s coast, the two astronauts will undergo post-mission medical evaluations before heading home.
📍 Key Takeaways:
✔ No overtime pay for NASA astronauts, only a small daily allowance of $4.
✔ Sunita Williams’ total earnings for 9 months in space: ₹82 Lakh – ₹1.06 Cr.
✔ NASA’s Crew-10 has arrived at ISS, and Sunita Williams will return on March 19.
🔹 Despite the delay, NASA maintains that the astronauts were not technically “stranded” but actively working on ISS operations.
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