How much will NASA pay Sunita Williams for her unexpected 9-month space stay?

Now that NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the eagerly awaited return of Crew-9 from the International Space Station (ISS), which will bring back NASA astronauts Sunita 'Sunni' Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Their Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to land back on Earth, bringing with it important scientific research, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. 

Sunita Williams' prolonged stay at the ISS reportedly exposed her to some significant health issues; the unit’s unexpected nine-month stay in space has been in the news as fans have expressed their concern about Williams (they originally set out for an eight-day mission). However, now that NASA has confirmed their date of return, it’s worth examining just how Sunita Williams’ extended stay would affect her paycheck.

Will NASA compensate Sunita Williams or pay her extra for her 9-month stay in space?

According to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, astronauts do not receive special overtime pay. As federal employees, their time spent in space is treated like any regular work trip on Earth. They continue to earn their standard salary, with NASA covering their food and living costs aboard the ISS.

The only extra pay they receive is a minor daily stipend for incidental expenses, reportedly about $4 (Rs 347) per day, as Coleman shared with Washingtonian.

For context, during her 159-day mission in 2010-11, Coleman earned approximately $636 (over Rs 55,000) in additional pay. By following the same calculation, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have each spent over 287 days in space, are expected to receive around $1,148 (about Rs 1 lakh) each as extra compensation. NASA has clarified that the astronauts are not considered "stranded" since they are actively engaged in work aboard the ISS.

Regarding Sunita Williams' potential earnings, both she and Butch Wilmore are classified as GS-15 employees, the highest rank in the General Schedule (GS) system for federal employees. GS-15 salaries range from $125,133 to $162,672 annually (approximately Rs 1.08 crore to Rs 1.41 crore).

For their extended nine-month duration on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore will earn a prorated salary between $93,850 and $122,004 (approximately Rs 81 lakh to Rs 1.05 crore). Including the incidental pay of $1,148 (around Rs 1 lakh), their total expected earnings for the mission will be between $94,998 and $123,152 (approximately Rs 82 lakh to Rs 1.06 crore).