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Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, originally embarked on an eight-day mission as part of NASA’s Boeing Starliner test flight. However, technical issues with the spacecraft forced them to remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly a year—a significant extension far beyond the planned schedule.
Unlike traditional jobs, NASA does not offer overtime pay, no matter how long an astronaut’s mission is extended. Even though Williams and Wilmore spent additional months in space, their base salaries remained unchanged, apart from a small daily stipend.
As a GS-15 level federal employee, Williams earns a salary ranging between 125,133 dollars and 162,672 dollars per year (approximately Rs 1.08 crore to Rs 1.41 crore). Since her mission stretched to nine months, her prorated salary falls between 93,850 dollars and 122,004 dollars (₹81 lakh to Rs 1.05 crore).
While their salaries remain fixed, NASA astronauts receive a small daily stipend of just 4 dollars (Rs 347) per day as extra compensation for their time in space, as reported by ET. For 287 days in orbit, this amounts to a mere 1,148dollars (Rs 1 lakh)—barely enough for a luxurious dinner upon returning to Earth!
NASA categorises space missions as official work assignments, much like business trips for government employees. Since astronauts’ food, lodging, and transportation are fully covered, there is no provision for overtime pay—just the small stipend for incidentals.
Despite playing a critical role in space exploration, astronauts like Sunita Williams receive modest financial rewards. Their contributions to science and humanity are invaluable, yet their paycheck doesn’t quite reflect the gravity of their work!
(Images credit: @Vijayabaskarofl, @PJMishra121110, @fazzz_7, @narottamsahoo, @RUDRAjh77573661)
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