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What did Wilmore and Williams get paid?
NASA’s public astronaut FAQ listed an approximate annual salary of $152,258, based on 2024 pay schedules. NASA said the rate would be adjusted for any increase in 2025, so this figure should be read as a published salary rate, not a confirmed account of either astronaut’s exact individual pay during the mission. NASA’s astronaut FAQ
Fortune reported that NASA confirmed the astronauts continued receiving their regular 40-hour-workweek salaries while aboard the International Space Station. The report says they did not receive overtime, holiday or weekend premiums, or hazard pay. Fortune’s report on the astronauts’ pay
Salary, premiums, and incidental travel amounts
| Pay or expense category | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Regular salary | NASA’s FAQ lists an approximate annual rate of $152,258 based on 2024 pay schedules. Fortune reported the astronauts stayed on their regular 40-hour salaries. |
| Overtime, holiday or weekend premium, hazard pay | Fortune reported that NASA said these were not paid for the extended time aboard the ISS. |
| Incidental travel amount | Fortune reported about $5 per day, attributing the information to a NASA spokesperson. It estimated approximately $1,430 over 286 days. |
| Transportation, lodging, and meals | Fortune reported these were covered as official travel expenses, rather than additional salary. |
The approximately $5 daily figure is a secondary report attributed to a NASA spokesperson; it is not independently confirmed here by a separate NASA travel-policy record. It is best understood as an incidental travel amount, not a bonus for the mission’s extension.
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Why did the mission last so long?
Wilmore and Williams launched on Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test in June 2024. NASA originally planned the test for eight to 14 days, but the Starliner flight lasted 93 days. NASA’s investigation release says engineers identified helium leaks and thruster anomalies. Faced with uncertainty about the spacecraft systems and without the expert concurrence required for human-spaceflight safety, NASA chose to return Starliner without its crew. NASA’s investigation findings
NASA described the decision as a safety measure. In an August 2024 announcement, then-administrator Bill Nelson said: “The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star.” NASA’s August 2024 return decision
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The astronauts’ stay was longer than the Starliner test flight
The 93 days refers to Starliner’s flight, not the astronauts’ complete time in space. Wilmore and Williams joined Expedition 71/72 operations on the ISS and returned to Earth aboard SpaceX Crew-9 in March 2025, after 286 days in space, according to NASA’s 2026 investigation release. During their stay, NASA said they supported research, station maintenance, Starliner system testing, and data analysis. NASA’s investigation findings
Were the astronauts abandoned or left without necessities?
NASA’s contemporaneous FAQ said the astronauts were safe aboard the ISS, integrated with the station crew, and continuing research, maintenance, and testing. NASA also said the station had food, water, clothing, and oxygen, with emergency return arrangements in place. The unexpected extension created a difficult operational situation, but NASA did not describe the astronauts as abandoned. NASA’s astronaut FAQ
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What NASA’s investigation concluded
In February 2026, NASA classified the Crew Flight Test event as a Type A mishap. The agency described interacting technical and organizational contributors and said there were no injuries, although the event had the potential for a significant mishap. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the investigation release: “Today, we are formally declaring a Type A mishap and ensuring leadership accountability so situations like this never reoccur.” NASA’s investigation findings
NASA later reported that Williams retired effective December 27, 2025, after 27 years of service. That retirement does not change the distinction at the center of the pay question: the published account describes regular salary and incidental travel amounts, not extra compensation for the delay. NASA’s announcement of Williams’ retirement
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