Following a nine-month overstay at the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are part of the Crew-9 mission, returned to Earth on SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom on Tuesday. The brief trip was extended into a months-long ordeal, and their safe return and presence in space garnered international attention.
Last June, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore embarked on an eight-day planned trip to the International Space Station. During its first test flight, the Boeing Starliner capsule experienced problems with its propulsion system, forcing them to stay. Last September, the malfunctioning capsule made its way back to Earth.
Astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Grebyonkin joined “Butch and Suni,” who arrived at the ISS in December as part of a rescue operation organized by
Now, attention turns to their scientific findings and the physical difficulties they faced while in space. As the crew readjusts to Earth’s gravity, NASA flight surgeons will continue to evaluate their health at Johnson Space Center, according to NASA spokesman Cheryl Warner.
He stated that after being certified, the team will be allowed to resume their regular lives on Earth and engage with their family there.
Do they receive additional compensation?
How much these astronauts get paid for surviving difficult conditions in space after being “stranded” there due to circumstances beyond their control may be of interest to you.
Astronauts receive their regular wage without extra compensation, according to former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, who spoke to washingtonian.com.
Travel, accommodation, and food expenses are paid for by the space agency, with a daily stipend for incidentals.
They wind up having to give you a tiny sum of money every day for incidentals, as required by law. It cost me about $4 a day,” Coleman remarked.
The veracity of the information could not be independently confirmed by HT.com.
It has been reported that Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are classified as GS-15, the highest position in the US General Pay Schedule.