New York: Sunita Williams may soon return to earth. The hope for her return rekindled after four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission reached the space station on Sunday. The Crew-10 mission carries NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to International Space Station (ISS).
NASA and SpaceX launched the mission to ISS to bring home NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. They have been stranded in space since last June.
All the hugs. 🫶
The hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened March 16 at 1:35 a.m. ET and the members of Crew-10 entered the @Space_Station with the rest of their excited Expedition 72 crew. pic.twitter.com/mnUddqPqfr
— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) March 16, 2025
The Dragon spacecraft took off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 7.03 pm ET on Friday (4.33 am IST). The Dragon docked on to the ISS around 10 am on Sunday.
How much NASA may pay Sunita Williams for her stay at ISS?
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are classified under the GS-15 pay grade, according to reports. This is the highest level for federal employees under the General Schedule (GS) system. GS-15 government employees receive an annual base salary ranging between $125,133 – $162,672 (approximately Rs 1.08 crore – Rs 1.41 crore).
For their extended 9-month stay on the ISS, Williams and Mr Wilmore will earn a prorated salary between $93,850 – $122,004 (approximately Rs 81 lakh – Rs 1.05 crore), reported the NDTV. Their total earnings for the mission is expected to be $94,998 – $123,152 (approximately Rs 82 lakh – Rs 1.06 crore)
