Here's How Much NASA Could Pay Sunita Williams For 9-Month Space Stay

New Delhi:

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who set out on what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months due to unexpected technical issues. As they prepare to finally return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft no earlier than March 19, the amount they are likely to be paid for their prolonged stay in space has become a talking point.

Designated Overtime Pay For Astronauts

According to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, there is no special overtime salary for astronauts. Since they are federal employees, their time in space is treated just like any regular work trip on Earth. They continue to earn their regular pay, with NASA covering their food and living expenses on the ISS.

The only additional compensation they receive is a small daily stipend for incidentals - reportedly just $4 (Rs 347) per day, Ms Coleman told Washingtonian.

For reference, during her 159-day mission in 2010-11, Ms Coleman received a total of around $636 (over Rs 55,000) in extra pay. Using the same calculation, Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore - after spending over 287 days in space - will likely receive just $1,148 (approximately Rs 1 lakh) each in additional compensation.

NASA has maintained that the astronauts are not technically "stranded", as they have been actively working on the ISS.

How Much Sunita Williams Is Likely To Get Paid

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are classified under the GS-15 pay grade, the highest level for federal employees under the General Schedule (GS) system. GS-15 government employees receive an annual base salary ranging between $125,133 - $162,672 (approximately Rs 1.08 crore - Rs 1.41 crore).

For their extended 9-month stay on the ISS, Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore will earn a prorated salary between $93,850 - $122,004 (approximately Rs 81 lakh - Rs 1.05 crore). 

Including the $1,148 (around Rs 1 lakh) in incidental pay, their total earnings for the mission is expected to be $94,998 - $123,152 (approximately Rs 82 lakh - Rs 1.06 crore).

Return Mission Underway

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, part of NASA's Boeing Starliner test flight, faced multiple delays in their return after the spacecraft encountered technical problems. NASA recently approved a relief mission, and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03 pm ET on Friday (4:33 am IST). The Dragon docked onto the ISS around 10 am.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission has arrived at the ISS, bringing four new crew members: NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.