Russian astronauts earn more income in space
Flying to space is not only a great responsibility but also provides good financial incentives. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to Bloomberg, Russian cosmonauts earn an average of 5.5 million rubles during a six-month orbital expedition. Cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky noted that the daily income during the flight is approximately 400 dollars.
Thus, over a six-month mission, this amount totals about 72 thousand dollars. This sum is paid as a bonus for working in special conditions in space, in addition to the base salary.
The monthly base salary of Russian cosmonauts, excluding bonuses and compensations, can average 130-140 thousand rubles after the first flight. For comparison, NASA astronauts are considered federal employees.
They continue to receive their regular salary during the flight but do not receive a separate “space” bonus. NASA astronauts’ annual salary ranges from 100 to 160 thousand dollars, with a symbolic daily additional payment — only 5 dollars per day, which amounts to about 1 thousand dollars over six months.
In conclusion, while the income of US astronauts is mainly stable, for Russian cosmonauts, the daily payment and bonuses in space constitute the main difference.
