NASA astronauts return home after dramatic ISS mission extension: Disputes around compensation
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have returned to Earth after spending nine months on the International Space Station. Their mission, initially planned for just eight days, was extended due to technical issues. NASA plans to compensate them for their time.
The primary delay resulted from a propulsion system failure on their return spacecraft, which forced a longer stay as part of the Crew-9 mission. The mission docked at the ISS in September. NASA plans to compensate the astronauts for the extended stay, although the exact compensation amount has not been disclosed.
A former NASA astronaut, Cady Coleman explained that astronauts generally receive basic pay without additional benefits: "For me it was around $4 a day."
As reported by the "Daily Mail," based on this information, Wilmore and Williams might receive just over $1,000 in additional pay.
Health challenges after the mission
Extended stays in space pose health challenges, including muscle and bone mass loss, vision problems, and the need to readjust to Earth's gravity. The astronauts will undergo intensive rehabilitation to strengthen their bones and muscles, among other recovery efforts.
The mission also sparked political controversy. President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested that the previous Joe Biden administration neglected the astronauts, stirring outrage in the space community. NASA, however, maintains that the astronauts' return plan has not changed since they joined the Crew-9 mission.
The astronauts ultimately returned to Earth on March 18 at 1:00 AM Eastern Time. Williams and Wilmore spent 286 days in space, which is longer than the typical ISS mission, which lasts about six months. However, they did not surpass the record held by another American astronaut, Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days on the International Space Station.
