The long wait is almost over as SpaceX and NASA prepare to bring two astronauts back to Earth after an unexpectedly prolonged stay in space.
But as their return nears, one question lingers—are they at least being well-compensated for their extended time in orbit?
NASA astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams embarked on what was initially planned as an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) last June. However, due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, their trip stretched into more than nine months.
Efforts to bring them home have faced multiple setbacks. Most recently, on 12 March, SpaceX was set to launch Crew-10 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Florida to assist in their return. However, the launch was abruptly called off less than an hour before liftoff due to a hydraulic system issue in the launch tower.
This marks yet another delay following the initial Crew-10 mission, which was originally scheduled for 12 February but was postponed due to a malfunction in one of the rocket’s clamp arms. The mission has now been rescheduled for 14 March.
With such an extended stay in space, one might assume the astronauts are earning a sizable paycheck for their additional time in orbit. However, according to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, there is no special overtime pay beyond their standard salary.
Since astronauts are federal employees, their time in space is classified as a standard work assignment—meaning no extra financial incentives for staying months beyond their intended return.
“There is some small amount of money every day for incidentals that they end up being legally obligated to pay you,” Coleman explained. However, this allowance amounts to just about $4 per day, meaning each astronaut has earned roughly $1,004 for their extended mission.
Despite their prolonged stay, NASA has pushed back against claims that the astronauts are “stranded.”
Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told the Washingtonian that “the party line at NASA is that the astronauts are not stranded,” adding that the situation has been “way overblown.”
“They’re fine,” McDowell stated. “They just got to do an extra spacewalk, which they love. They’ll come home on the next ride.”
However, this perspective does not necessarily take into account the potential health concerns the astronauts may be facing.
Photos suggest they have lost noticeable weight, and reports indicate they must exercise for hours daily to counteract the physical effects of prolonged weightlessness.
Despite the unexpected extension of their mission, Williams has maintained a positive outlook.
“Of course, you know, we came up here thinking we’d only be here for a little while and do our test flight, but then the added time here has allowed us to do all the science experiments,” she said.
“We’ve gone through a lot of holidays together. We’ve learned how to make cakes up here for each other. So it’s been a lot of fun, actually.”
