By keely aouga
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams ventured on a test flight in June 2024, anticipating the trip would only take over a week. Little did the duo know, they would be stuck in orbit until Mar. 18, 2025.
The Boeing Starliner astronauts returned to Earth safely, but as they made headlines, curiosity has grown around their dangerous profession.
Despite their historic achievements, Williams and Wilmore make the brave trek to outer space for less than one might think.
According to NASA's 2024 pay rates, astronauts make an annual salary of $152,258.
Additionally, they don't get overtime or a pay bump for the dangers of the situations they regularly face.
A NASA spokesperson confirmed with Fortune that astronauts are paid a 40-hour-per-week salary, with no additional compensation for holiday or weekends.
This means that amid the Boeing Starliner's delayed return, there was no financial incentive to stay in space longer.
Although this might seem like astronauts are being cheated for their work, many have spoken out about not being motivated by money.
For a lot of astronauts, it's their dream to go to space for a week, let alone nine months.
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity makes their salary worth it, as the astronauts get to continue doing the research that they are most passionate about.