NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are gearing up to return home after a staggering 287 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS)—a mission initially planned for just eight days. Their prolonged stay was due to technical setbacks with Boeing’s Starliner, forcing them to remain in orbit for over nine months. NASA has now cleared their departure, with their Earthbound journey aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule scheduled no earlier than March 19.
As federal GS-15 grade employees, their annual salaries range from $125,133 to $162,672 (₹1.08 to ₹1.41 crore). With their space stint extended, their prorated earnings for the mission fall between $93,850 and $122,004 (₹81 lakh to ₹1.05 crore). Despite the lengthy duration, NASA doesn’t offer overtime. Instead, astronauts receive a humble $4 (₹347) daily for incidentals—adding up to just $1,148 (₹1 lakh) for their entire mission.
Total earnings, including stipends, range from $94,998 to $123,152 (₹82 lakh to ₹1.06 crore), a sum many find modest given the extreme conditions and duration.
While the duo prepares for re-entry, the SpaceX Crew-10 mission—featuring NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov—has taken over ISS duties.
After months of delays and endurance in microgravity, Williams and Wilmore’s imminent return will conclude one of NASA’s longest crewed space missions, with experts noting they may struggle to walk upon landing due to muscle atrophy.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams celebrates Christmas in space with crew
NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams to Celebrate Thanksgiving in Space with Smoked Turkey
#SunitaInSpace #NASA287Days #StarlinerDelays #SpaceReturnCountdown