NASA Astronaut’s Daughter Reveals Spaceflight’s Physical Toll and Post-Mission Compensation

Astronauts’ Nine-Month Space Ordeal: Recovery and Meager Pay Revealed
(Images: 1. Daryn Wilmore’s TikTok post; 2. Astronauts on stretchers post-landing; 3. Williams and Wilmore during rehab)

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams finally returned to Earth after a harrowing nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS)—far longer than their planned eight-day mission. Their ordeal, marked by Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft malfunctions, has sparked discussions about astronaut compensation and the physical toll of prolonged spaceflight.

Extended Mission and Health Struggles
Wilmore’s daughter, Daryn, 19, shared candid updates on TikTok, revealing her father’s challenging recovery. “It’s rough,” she wrote, but praised his resilience, calling him “a trooper.” Williams and Wilmore faced immediate health hurdles upon return, needing assistance to exit the SpaceX Dragon capsule due to muscle atrophy and bone loss caused by microgravity. NASA images later showed them walking independently, though Williams appeared frail with an IV drip still in her arm.

Staggering Physical Toll
Prolonged space missions degrade the body: muscles weaken, spines lengthen, and hearts undergo structural changes. Dr. Ehsan Jazini, a spine surgeon, noted recovery could take 3–6 months, or longer for spinal realignment. Nearly half of astronauts report acute back pain post-mission. Rehabilitation includes core exercises, mobility work, and gradual reintroduction to Earth’s gravity. “Patience and consistency are key,” Jazini emphasized.

$5-a-Day “Hazard Pay”
Daryn highlighted her father’s meager compensation: just $5 extra per day in space, totaling $1,380 for their 276-day extension. Despite their $120k–$160k annual salaries, astronauts receive no overtime. Former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman confirmed similar rates during her 2010 mission, calling it “incidental pay.” President Trump quipped he’d cover their overtime personally, though NASA’s policies remain unchanged.

Mission Gone Wrong
The duo launched June 5 on Boeing’s Starliner, which suffered helium leaks and thruster failures, stranding them. NASA deemed a return voyage too risky, so they waited months for SpaceX’s Crew-9 capsule. Daryn criticized the delay as “incompetent” in earlier TikTok comments but later acknowledged NASA’s safety prioritization.

Long Road Ahead
The astronauts now face a 45-day rehab program: two hours of daily exercise, seven days a week. While they’ve begun walking, full recovery may take over a year. Their saga underscores space exploration’s hidden costs—both physical and financial—as humanity reaches farther into the cosmos.

(Image captions: 1. Daryn’s TikTok post criticizing NASA’s compensation. 2. Wilmore and Williams assisted onto stretchers post-landing. 3. Williams with an IV during rehab.)