Will Sunita Williams Get Paid for 9-Month Space Overtime? Ex-Astronaut Reveals

Ex-Astronaut Sunita Williams Reveals: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams left on what was originally supposed to be an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Because of unforeseen technical problems, though, their trip lasted more than nine months.

As they gear up to leave Earth on a SpaceX Dragon capsule, set for no earlier time, the amount the astronauts will make for their overstay in space is drawing interest. Will NASA pay them overtime salary?

Astronaut salary breakdown

According to reports, as GS-15 federal employees, Williams and Wilmore earn an annual salary ranging from $125,133 to $162,672 (approximately Rs 1.08 crore to Rs 1.41 crore). Given their extended 9-month mission, their earnings will be prorated to about $93,850 to $122,004 (around Rs 81 lakh to Rs 1.05 crore).

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While that might sound impressive, here's where it gets amusing: NASA does not pay astronauts overtime. Instead, they receive a small daily stipend for incidentals, which amounts to just $4 per day (Rs 347), according to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman.

In an interview with Washingtonian, Coleman said “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 if Williams and Wilmore would be earning in overtime since their eight-day mission ballooned, Coleman added, “There is some small amount of money per day for incidentals that they end up legally obligated to pay you.” She recalled that it was $4 (Rs 347) a day for her.

The paycheck for 287 days in space?

Since Williams and Wilmore have spent 287 days instead of the planned 8, their extra stipend amounts to just $1,148 (Rs 1 lakh). That's barely enough to cover a fancy dinner after they land—let alone compensate for nearly a year in microgravity!

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Adding up their base salary plus this modest stipend, their total earnings for the mission will range between $94,998 and $123,152 (approximately Rs 82 lakh to Rs 1.06 crore).

Finally returning to Earth

After months of delays due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner, Nasa has now cleared their return. Williams and Wilmore are expected to depart no earlier than March 19 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

Meanwhile, the SpaceX Crew-10 mission has arrived at the ISS to take over, bringing NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.

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