President Donald Trump recently suggested he would personally cover overtime costs for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore after their nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
During an interview with Fox News’ Peter Doocy on March 21, Trump revealed that he had not been informed that astronauts do not receive overtime pay. Doocy mentioned that Williams and Wilmore, who spent 286 days in space, would receive $5 per day in incidentals, which totals $1,430. In response, Trump said, “Nobody ever mentioned this to me. If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket,” adding, “I’ll take care of that.”
While astronauts are on the ISS, NASA confirmed they receive regular salaries based on a 40-hour workweek, but no overtime or holiday pay. The agency clarified that astronauts are considered federal employees on official travel orders and are provided with transportation, lodging, and meals, along with a daily incidental allowance.
Trump’s remarks came ahead of Williams and Wilmore’s return to Earth on March 18, after their return was delayed for months due to mechanical issues with their spacecraft. While Trump suggested that the astronauts had been “abandoned” by the Biden administration, NASA had already been coordinating with SpaceX on a plan to bring them back. Williams and Wilmore rejected the claim of being abandoned, emphasizing that they had been prepared for such delays and did not feel stranded.
After nine months in space, the two astronauts safely returned to Earth, where they were greeted by dolphins and their colleagues. Their journey back began on March 18, when they undocked from the ISS and splashed down off the coast of Florida later that evening.