Stranded Astronauts Leave ISS Empty-Handed on Overtime Pay Front
Uncompensated astronauts left in space - Lunar astronauts left uncompensated for extra lunar duties
Here's the lowdown:
Those two bold space cowboys, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, winners of the "Longest Stint on the Can" award, unexpectedly found themselves camping out on the International Space Station (ISS) for a staggering eight-and-a-half months more than their scheduled stay. A pesky malfunction with their Starliner spacecraft necessitated this prolonged abode—a complication that, alas, didn't net them any overtime pay.
You see, these government representatives on space jaunts might receive a standard salary, but nothing extra for the interstellar grind—only essentials like travel, lodgings, and chow are covered by NASA[1][2]. Long story short: no overtime, man.
Now enter our marionette president, Donald Trump, who touted a daring plan of picking up the tab for their extra work weeks. Apparently, if the bureaucracy didn't cough up the cash, our fearless leader threatened to pay them out of his very own pocket. The man's got guts!
Or does he? As of March 2025, there's no concrete evidence or recent reports that Trump ever put his money where his mouth was. The promise was internalized during a casual chat with journalists, but no follow-up confirmations or further details have surfaced since then[3].
So here's the reality: those badass astronauts docked back on Earth without a dollar more for their extended stay. Hope Springs Eternal that ol' Donny boy might change his mind, but for now, it's just a pipe dream.
- TL;DR:Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who stayed eight-and-a-half months longer on ISS due to technical issues, didn't get overtime pay. No word on Donald Trump following through on his promise to pay their overtime out of his own pocket.
- Keywords:International Space Station, Overtime, ISS, Donald Trump, NASA, US President, Trump's Promise, Empty-Handed, Starliner Spacecraft
[1] NASA.gov[2] NASA Job Tercs[3] CNN News, March 2025 (Report Title Redacted for Privacy)
Despite their extended stay of eight-and-a-half months on the International Space Station due to the malfunction of the Starliner spacecraft, astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore received no overtime pay from NASA. Contrary to President Donald Trump's announcement, there is no evidence that he compensated them for their additional workweeks, as promised during a casual chat with journalists in March 2025. With no concrete follow-up or details available, the astronauts returned to Earth empty-handed.
