6 hours ago
Last Updated:March 21, 2025, 23:18 IST
Sunita Williams, along with her NASA colleague Butch Wilmore, returned to Earth on Tuesday, nine months after being stuck in space.
Donald Trump and Sunita Williams (Image: AP, NASA)
US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he would pay the astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore out of his own pocket if he has to for the period of time they were stuck in space.
Trump also thanked Elon Musk for the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft used to bring the stranded astronauts back home.
“If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket… and I want to thank Elon Musk by the way because think if we don’t have him," Trump told reporters.
NASA astronauts, like Wilmore and Williams, get the same standard salary as other government employees. They work 40 hours a week and don’t get extra pay for overtime, weekends, or holidays. According to NASA, astronauts earned over $152,000 last year.
Even while in space, astronauts receive their regular salary because they are considered to be on official travel as government employees. This means NASA covers their transportation, stay, and meals. They also get extra money for small daily expenses, called “incidentals." Right now, this amount is $5 per day. For Wilmore and Williams, who spent 286 days in space, this adds up to $1,430 each.
Trump’s remarks came days after Williams and Wilmore splashed down off the coast in Florida on Tuesday aboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, nine months after being stranded at the Space Station – originally what was a week mission.
The astronauts had to stay in space longer because the Boeing Starliner spacecraft had a problem. The Starliner returned to Earth alone, while the astronauts stayed behind in space.
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:March 21, 2025, 23:18 IST
News world ‘Out Of My Own Pocket…’: Trump Offers To Pay Sunita Williams For Overtime In Space
