Apart from the ₹81 lakh salary, he will get ₹1.22 lakh in overtime, said- ‘This is nothing compared to what she has endured’
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would pay NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore overtime. The two astronauts went on NASA’s joint ‘Crew Flight Test Mission’ on June 5, 2024.
The mission was supposed to last 8 days, but due to a problem with the spacecraft’s thrusters, they remained stuck at the International Space Station (ISS) for 9 months. With the help of Elon Musk’s spacecraft, they were brought back on March 19.
Trump was asked whether he would pay the two astronauts extra for this overtime. To this, Donald Trump said-
No one has ever talked to me about this. If I have to spend, I will spend it from my own pocket. It is no more than what they had to endure.
NASA gives astronauts $5 a day for daily expenses
NASA astronauts are considered government employees. They receive the same pay as other government employees. There is no additional pay for extended missions – including overtime, weekends or holidays.
NASA covers the astronauts’ travel, accommodation and meals, and also provides an additional $5 (Rs 430) for minor daily expenses.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s salaries are $94,998 (Rs. 81.69 lakh) and $123,152 (Rs. 1.05 crore) respectively. Donald Trump In addition, they will receive $1,430 (Rs. 1,22,980) for spending a total of 286 days in space.
Musk thanked for the return of astronauts
Trump on Saturday thanked Elon Musk for bringing back NASA astronauts. He said that if we didn’t have Musk, the astronauts would have been stranded there for a long time. He (Elon Musk) is currently going through a lot of difficulties.
Donald Trump Let us tell you that on Monday, the shares of Musk’s Tesla company fell by 15%, due to which the company’s market cap fell by Rs 4 lakh crore. This is the company’s biggest single-day loss since September 2020.
