NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after living in space for nine months, significantly longer than their initial one-week stay. The duo spent 286 days on the International Space Station (ISS), while fellow astronaut Nick Hague was there for 171 days.
The astronauts’ extended stay has raised questions about their pay, with some speculating they may receive extra compensation. However, according to NASA, astronauts receive regular salaries while onboard, but do not receive overtime or holiday/weekend pay. The monthly salary is over $152,000 per astronaut.
NASA provides transportation, lodging, and meals for its astronauts during official travel orders as federal employees. They also receive incidentals amounting to $5 per day, which would equate to approximately $1,430 for Wilmore and Williams.
Their stay at the ISS was extended after a technical issue with their spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner, forced it to make an unmanned return to Earth in September. The astronauts spent over 900 hours conducting research on the station before its departure.
The astronauts’ safe return has been hailed as a success, thanks to the “excellent work” of the SpaceX and NASA teams. President Donald Trump looks forward to welcoming them back to the Oval Office after they recover from their time in space.
Source: https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/rescued-astronauts-back-earth-how-much-money-get-time-space