Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who just returned to Earth on Tuesday after an unexpected extended trip to the ISS, might not be paid for all the 286 days they spent in space

The International Space Station (ISS) is almost the size of a football field. It serves as a laboratory and living space for astronauts, including Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who spent 9 months aboard stranded.

The two veteran NASA astronauts embarked on a one-week-long space venture last year. However, their stay got extended owing to unforeseen technical glitches including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions in the carrying spacecraft.