Overview

• Two U.S. astronauts, Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore, were stranded on the ISS for nine months due to technical failures with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
• NASA covered their standard salaries and expenses but did not compensate them for the extended mission beyond their regular 40-hour workweek.
• The astronauts received $5 per day for incidental expenses, which NASA states is standard for all missions, regardless of duration.
• Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for the delays and offered to personally pay the astronauts' unpaid overtime.
• The extended mission provided NASA with valuable data on the effects of long-term space travel, potentially informing future missions to Mars and beyond.