Sunita Williams' return: How much will NASA pay her for 9-month stay in space?

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, NASA astronauts part of the Crew-9 mission, returned to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon Freedom on Tuesday after a nine-month overstay at the International Space Station (ISS). Their presence in space and safe return caught global attention as the short mission was turned into a months-long ordeal.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore travelled to the ISS in June last year for a scheduled eight-day mission. They were forced to stay as the Boeing Starliner capsule developed issues with its propulsion system during its maiden test flight. The faulty capsule returned to Earth last September.

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‘Butch and Suni’ were accompanied by astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Grebyonkin, who reached the ISS in December as part of a rescue mission planned by NASA and SpaceX.

Focus now shifts to their scientific discoveries and the physical challenges they endured in space. NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner said the crew will remain at Johnson Space Center for health monitoring by the agency's flight surgeons as they readapt to Earth’s gravity. There, the crew will be able to interact with their families and, once cleared, return to normal life on Earth, he added.

Are they paid extra?

You might be curious to know how much these astronauts are paid for enduring challenging conditions in space after being left' stranded' there through no fault of their own.

Former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman told washingtonian.com that astronauts receive their regular salary with no overtime pay. The space agency covers the costs of transportation, lodging, and food, and there is a small daily allowance for incidentals.

“There is some small amount of money per day for incidentals that they end up being legally obligated to pay you. For me, it was around $4 a day,” Coleman said.

HT.com couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the information.

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According to reports, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore fall under the GS-15, the highest rank of the General Pay Schedule in the US.

As per information on generalschedule.org, GS-15 government employees receive a base salary of between $1,25,133 and $1,62,672 (approximately ₹1.08 crore to ₹1.41 crore).

For reference, during her 159-day mission in 2010-11, Coleman received around $636 (over ₹55,000) in additional pay. Using the same calculation, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore—after spending over 287 days in space—will likely receive at least about $1,148 (approximately ₹1 lakh) each in extra compensation.

The actual amount, without overtime pay, would depend on adjustments made by NASA to account for inflation and other factors.