NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and embarked on what was originally planned as an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). However, due to unforeseen technical issues, their mission extended beyond nine months.

As they prepare to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule no earlier than March 19, their compensation for the prolonged stay has sparked widespread interest.

Unlike many professions, astronauts do not receive overtime pay for extended missions, says a report in The Times of India. Retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman explained that astronauts are federal employees, meaning all the time they spend in space is considered part of their regular duties, with no extra compensation for longer missions.

Astronauts continue receiving their standard salaries while NASA covers their living expenses aboard the ISS. Additionally, they receive a small daily stipend for incidentals, which has historically been around $4 per day (approximately ₹347).

For comparison, during her 159-day mission in 2010-11, Coleman received $636 (over ₹55,000) in incidental pay. Based on the same calculation, Williams and Wilmore—who have now spent over 287 days in space—will receive approximately $1,148 (around ₹1 lakh) each in additional compensation.

Both astronauts fall under the GS-15 pay grade, the highest level in the General Schedule (GS) system for US federal employees. The annual salary for GS-15 employees ranges between $125,133 and $162,672 (approximately ₹1.08 crore to ₹1.41 crore).

For their extended nine-month stay aboard the ISS, their prorated salary is estimated to be between $93,850 and $122,004 (approximately ₹81 lakh to ₹1.05 crore). Adding the $1,148 in incidental pay, their total earnings for the mission will likely range from $94,998 to $123,152 (approximately ₹82 lakh to ₹1.06 crore).

Despite their prolonged stay, NASA has emphasized that Williams and Wilmore were not "stranded" on the ISS. The astronauts remained actively engaged in ongoing research and operations, contributing to the space station’s mission.

The technical issues delaying their return stemmed from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was initially expected to bring them back to Earth. However, following multiple reschedules, NASA recently approved a relief mission, sending a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 7:03 pm ET on Friday (4:33 am IST). The rocket carried a Dragon spacecraft, which successfully docked with the ISS at 10 am.

The Dragon spacecraft is part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission, which also brought four new crew members to the ISS: NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.

NASA has confirmed that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth no earlier than March 19, with splashdown expected off the Florida coast. Live coverage of their departure will begin with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 pm EDT on March 17 (8:30 am IST, March 18).

As the astronauts prepare to conclude their unexpectedly long stay, their journey raises key discussions about the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and the financial implications for those who dedicate themselves to space exploration.