Trump Offers to Cover Overtime Pay of Stranded Astronauts
- paolo bibat
- Mar 22
- 2 min read
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would personally pay the overtime wages owed to NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, who returned to Earth this week after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Their mission, originally planned as an eight-day test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, was extended due to technical failures that left them stranded in orbit.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump responded to a reporter's question about the astronauts’ $5 daily per diem during their prolonged stay. "Nobody's ever mentioned this to me.
If I have to, I'll pay it out of my own pocket," Trump said, adding, "That's not a lot for what they had to go through." The astronauts earned an additional $1,430 for their extended time in space.
Wilmore and Williams launched aboard Boeing's Starliner in June 2024 but were unable to return due to thruster malfunctions and helium leaks in the spacecraft.
NASA eventually decided it was unsafe for them to use Starliner for re-entry and arranged their return via SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. After 286 days in space, they splashed down off the coast of Florida earlier this week.
Trump praised SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for facilitating the rescue mission, stating, "If we don’t have Elon, they could be up there a long time. Who else is going to get them?" He also acknowledged the physical toll of prolonged space travel, noting that "the body starts to deteriorate" after months in orbit.
The astronauts’ ordeal underscores the risks of space exploration and the challenges of developing reliable commercial crew vehicles.
Wilmore and Williams are experienced NASA veterans; Williams has spent 322 days in space across her career, while Wilmore has accumulated 178 days prior to this mission.
Despite their safe return, questions remain about Boeing’s Starliner program and its readiness for future missions.
Meanwhile, Trump’s pledge to personally cover their overtime pay highlights his administration’s focus on supporting NASA’s efforts amid growing reliance on private companies like SpaceX.
