Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williamsare set to return home after an unexpectedly long stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) — but how much are they making for their extended time in space?
collapse of the salary for an astronaut
According to reports, Williams and Wilmore are paid an annual salary of between$ 125, 133, and$ 162, 672 ( approximately Rs 1.08 crore to Rs 1.41 crore ) as GS-15 federal employees. Their earnings will increase to about$ 93,850 to$ 122,004 ( roughly Rs 81 lakh to Rs 1.005 crore ) given their extended 9-month mission.
Although that may seem amazing, NASA’s extra policy is where it gets amusing. Instead, they get a small daily stipend for incidentals, which is only$ 4 per day ( Rs 347 ), according to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman.
The salary for a space mission of 287 times?
Since Williams and Wilmore didn’t spend the 287 days they had planned, the extra stipend is only$ 1,148 ( Rs 1 lakh ). That’s barely enough to cover a lavish dinner after they land, let alone make up for almost a month in spaceflight!
Their total earnings for the mission will range between$ 94, 998 and$ 123, 152 ( approximately Rs 82 lakh to Rs 1.06 crore ), adding up their base salary and this modest stipend.
Eventually returning to Earth
Nasa has today completed their transfer after weeks of difficulties brought on by complex problems with the Boeing Starliner. No earlier than March 19 is the expected departure for Williams and Wilmore aboard a SpaceX Dragon aircraft.
However, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, Nasa pilots Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, and Chinese astronaut Takuya Onishi, all boarded by the SpaceX Crew-10 vision that has already arrived on the ISS.
