How much extra pay will Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore get for the delay?

Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth after spending nearly nine months on the International Space Station (ISS). They were originally supposed to stay for just one week, but technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft delayed their return for almost nine months.

 

Now, a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft has arrived at the ISS to bring them back. They will be traveling with a US astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut, but there has been no official word on any compensation for the delay.

 

Compensation for the delay

 

However, reports suggest that space agency Nasa will compensate Williams and Wilmore for their extended stay. But they will not receive traditional overtime pay. Former Nasa astronaut Cady Coleman told lifestyle magazine Washingtonian, “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.” 

 

Based on this, Williams and Wilmore are expected to receive around $1,148 each in extra allowances for their 287 days in space. Their annual salaries range from $125,133 to $162,672. With the extra nine months included, they will earn between $94,998 and $123,152 for the mission.

 

Time and date of their return 

 

After a 17-hour journey, the astronauts will return aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with a splashdown set for 5:57 PM EST on Tuesday in Florida (3.27 am IST on Wednesday).

 

“They’re on their way! #Crew9 undocked from the @Space_Station at 1:05 am ET (0505 UTC). Reentry and splashdown coverage begins on X, YouTube, and NASA+ at 4.45 pm ET (2145 UTC) this evening,” Nasa wrote in a post on X after the successful undocking.

 

Nasa originally planned their return for Wednesday, but scheduled it earlier due to expected unfavourable weather later in the week. This mission was the first-ever crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner and was meant to last just a week. However, Williams and Wilmore ended up staying in space for nine months, making this a historic and unexpected journey.