NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams Retires: Here Is A Look At Her Pension, Post-Retirement Benefits

Sunita Williams, a veteran NASA astronaut, retired after 27 years of an extraordinary career. This marks the end of her remarkable journey in space exploration. NASA said that the retirement of Williams took effect on December 27.

Among her many accomplishments, Williams has been a part of three missions on board the International Space Station and has logged 608 days in space. This is the second-highest cumulative total any NASA astronaut has spent in space. She has set multiple human spaceflight records, completed nine spacewalks, and spent 62 hours and six minutes total outside the spacecraft, making a record time done by any female astronaut and the fourth-highest ever done by anyone in NASA’s overall history.

Many are now wondering how the Indian-origin astronaut will spend her life after retirement.

How Much Pension Will Williams Receive?

NASA will not directly pay Williams a pension after retirement. However, she will be eligible for a pension under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). This will be calculated on the basis of the 27 years of service with NASA and the average salary received over the highest-paid three consecutive years. With this, she is expected to receive nearly 1 per cent of the high-three average salary for each year of service by Williams. Overall, this amount could be significant given her GS-15 pay grade. Along with this, she had an annual salary of nearly Rs. 1.2-1.3 crore, which would also be counted.

The exact amount that could be received by Williams has not been publicly disclosed. However, it is estimated that Williams might receive around $43,200 annually after retirement, which would be around Rs 36 lakh in rupee terms. Williams has also concluded her career with NASA, which includes credited time of her service as a captain in the US Navy.

What Other Benefits will she receive

Additionally, Williams will also receive benefits from the US Social Security Scheme along with the FERS pension. This will be a separate monthly payment provided to her. She will also retain benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, and her Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) savings.

TSP is a retirement savings and investment plan. This plan offers federal employees a similar type of savings and tax benefits like the 401(k) plans that employees in private corporations receive. Social security under the US Social Security system offers a monthly payment to federal employees. Additionally, the continued benefits and support also provide post-mission medical and psychological support.