Trump Can’t Resist Bringing Up Musk — Even When Asked About NASA Overtime Pay

New Delhi: In a recent exchange with a reporter, United States President Donald Trump was asked about the issue of overtime pay for NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who spent an unplanned 278 extra days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to a spacecraft malfunction.

While addressing the question, Trump couldn’t resist bringing up Elon Musk, praising the CEO of SpaceX and tech billionaire's role in brining back the astronauts, even though the question was centered on NASA’s policies regarding overtime pay.

Overtime Pay? ‘I Want to Thank Elon Musk’ | WATCH

Trump offered to personally cover the costs, saying, “If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket,” before adding, “And I want to thank Elon Musk, by the way, because think if we don’t have him.”

Trump's comments come amid ongoing discussions about NASA's strict policies, which classify astronauts on missions as federal employees on official travel orders, meaning they are ineligible for overtime pay, holiday pay, or weekend compensation.

During their extended 286-day stay in space, Sunita Williams and Wilmore received a total of about $1,430 in per diem payments. Their annual salary remains around $152,258, consistent with the pay scale for senior federal employees.

Also Read: Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore Return To Earth

Why NASA Astronauts Don’t Receive Overtime Pay?

Astronauts are classified as government employees while on space missions, similar to civil servants traveling for work. Their travel orders cover transportation, meals, and lodging, but extended missions, no matter how long or risky, do not warrant extra pay.

According to Jimi Russell, spokesperson for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, astronauts receive a $5 per diem for incidentals, just like any other government employee. This policy reflects NASA’s approach to treating space missions as official work assignments rather than extensions of regular employment.

After spending nine months in space and completing 4,577 orbits around the planet, "stranded" astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returned home.

What was initially an eight-day mission turned into an unexpected nine-month ordeal, capturing global and political attention after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft encountered multiple technical problems.