Trump Offers to Personally Pay Stranded NASA Astronauts' Overtime

President Trump expressed surprise at NASA's minimal compensation policy and praised SpaceX for successfully rescuing the astronauts after their nine-month extended mission.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore spent 286 days on the ISS due to technical failures with Boeing's Starliner, far exceeding their planned eight-day mission.
The astronauts received only $5 per day in incidentals during their extended stay, totaling $1,430, with no overtime or hazard pay provided by NASA.
President Trump, upon learning of the minimal compensation, pledged to personally cover the overtime pay if necessary, calling the amount insufficient for their ordeal.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, conducted the rescue mission that safely returned the astronauts to Earth on March 18, 2025, with their capsule splashing down near Tallahassee, Florida.
The situation has reignited discussions about NASA's compensation policies and the physical challenges of prolonged space missions, with NASA categorizing astronauts' time in space as official travel without overtime benefits.