No extra pay for Sunita Williams, Butch William for 278 extra days in space? Trump responds with this

When Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth earlier this week, they were hailed as heroes. What began as an eight-day mission to the International Space Station stretched into nine and a half months after technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner left them stranded in orbit for an additional 278 days.

Despite the extended stay, the two NASA astronauts won’t receive any overtime pay. Their status as federal employees means they draw a fixed salary—no weekend bonuses, no holiday pay, and certainly no outer-space overtime.

The revelation drew a strong reaction from US President Donald Trump. “Nobody’s ever mentioned this to me. If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket,” Trump said when informed of the situation.

Under current rules, NASA covers transportation, meals, and lodging for astronauts and grants a $5 daily incidental allowance. For 286 days in space, Williams and Wilmore each earn $1,430 (₹1.22 lakh) on top of their base salaries ranging from $94,998 to $123,152.

Trump appeared surprised by the modest figure, “Is that all? That’s not a lot for what they had to go through.”

Speaking from the Oval Office, the President also credited Elon Musk and SpaceX for safely bringing the astronauts home aboard the Dragon spacecraft. “If we don’t have Elon… who else is going to get them?” Trump said. “The body starts to deteriorate after 9-10 months in space.”

Williams and Wilmore splashed down off Florida’s east coast and were seen smiling and waving after landing. As per protocol, they were carried out on stretchers and will now begin a months-long rehab program to restore muscle and bone strength.