Sunita Williams and her NASA co-worker Butch Wilmore safely returned to Earth on Tuesday, nine months after being stranded. US President Donald Trump on Friday declared that he would compensate NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore out of his pocket for overtime they had to remain in space.
Trump also thanked Elon Musk for the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft deployed to rescue the stranded astronauts back home. When asked about the two astronauts whom he just “saved from space, they didn’t receive any overtime pay”, Trump replied, “If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my pocket… And I want to thank Elon Musk by the way because think if we didn’t have him”.
NASA astronauts, such as Wilmore and Williams, receive the same base pay as other civil servants. They are employed 40 hours a week and do not receive overtime, weekend, or holiday pay. NASA reports that astronauts earned more than $152,000 last year.
Even in outer space, the astronauts get their usual salary because they are still regarded as official business being government employees. NASA pays for their transport, accommodation, and food. They also receive an allowance for petty day-to-day expenses, which are referred to as “incidentals.” At present, the allowance is $5 per day. For Wilmore and Williams, who had spent 286 days in outer space, that amounts to $1,430 each.
Trump’s comment came days after Williams and Wilmore splashed down off Florida’s coast on Tuesday aboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, nine months after they were stranded at the International Space Station – initially what was supposed to be a week-long mission. The astronauts were forced to remain in space longer since the Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned. The Starliner flew back to Earth alone, leaving the astronauts behind in space.
