Trump offers to personally compensate astronauts for low pay after ISS mission

President Trump expressed his willingness to personally cover overtime costs for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who returned from a prolonged stay at the International Space Station (ISS) after their mission extended to 286 days. They reportedly received only $5 a day in per diem, totaling $1,430 for their time in space, which Trump found inadequate given their circumstances. The astronauts were initially stranded due to malfunctions with the Boeing Starliner that brought them to the ISS, and it was only thanks to SpaceX that they were eventually brought home. Trump also noted the importance of Elon Musk in facilitating their return, indicating that without Musk's intervention, the astronauts could have faced further delays. The situation has raised questions about the compensation for astronauts in prolonged missions and the decision-making process behind their extended stay. Both Trump and Musk criticized the Biden administration for not accepting Musk's earlier offer to rescue the astronauts sooner.