If you think Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are going to receive a huge amount for their 9 months of overtime in space, you couldn’t be more wrong, based on a former astronaut. The two brave NASA astronauts have been living their challenging lives in microgravity for over nine months now, whereas they were supposed to return long ago. The daring duo began their mission back on June 5, 2024, and were only supposed to spend eight days onboard the ISS, International Space Station.
However, following some issues with their spacecraft, Sunita and Barry have been left stranded in space without any means to come back home. According to BBC, it has been revealed that the Boeing Starline spacecraft, which the astronauts used to travel to the ISS, faced several technical issues on the way. NASA stated that several thrusters failed, and there was also a helium leak that pushed fuel into the propulsion system. After thorough routine checks, it was declared that it wasn’t safe for Williams and Wilmore to travel back to Earth using the same spacecraft. Later, Boeing returned home un-crewed. According to the latest update from NASA, the duo will be brought back in Elon Musk‘s SpaceX Crew-9 spacecraft, but not until March.
As they are stuck in the space, many wonder how much they might be paid for their massive overtime. A former NASA astronaut, Cady Coleman, revealed in an interview with Washington that they will not receive any special overtime pay beyond their standard salaried pay package. While it may come as a shock to many, Coleman noted that as federal employees, a trip to space is conditioned in the same way as other Earth-bound businesses.
However, the retired astronaut added, “here is some small amount of money every… say for incidentals that they end up being legally obligated to pay you.” She revealed that she was paid $4 per day. If the compensation is the same for Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, they will end up receiving only $1004 extra over their pay packet for the overtime so far.
Cady Coleman also described how it is to be in space, revealing, “it’s almost like you are a fish in an aquarium.” Recalling her wonderful experience, she noted that it felt like gliding through a dark yet majestic place.
Meanwhile, in the same interview, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist, provided further insights into the situation. He insisted that Sunita and Barry being stranded in space is actually “way overblown.” He stated that they were fine, explaining, “They just got to do an extra spacewalk, which they love. They’ll come home on the next ride.”
President Donald Trump has also commented on this situation. He applauded Williams and Barry as “the two brave astronauts.” He also asked Elon Musk to “go get” the pair from the space soon.
