India’s Shubhanshu Shukla successfully undocked from the International Space Station, along with the Axiom-4 crew. The splashdown on July 15th was after a 22.5 hour long journey. Shukla has become the inspiration to various other aspiring astronauts who aim to one day work in ISRO or any other international space agencies.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is India’s national space agency, with its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is currently headed by V.Narayanan as the Chairman of the organisation.
While the ISRO astronauts’ salaries vary based on experience and position, it generally ranges from Rs 12 to 20 lakh per annum for ISRO astronauts. But, one should keep in mind that salaries can fluctuate based on mission requirements and individual performance. Astronauts may also receive allowances and benefits as part of their employment package.
There is also potential for higher earnings with international agencies.
Astronauts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) fall in grades GS-12 through GS-13, which are the senior mid-level and some top-level positions. Such positions start at $65,140 (Rs 56 lakh approx) per year and go up to $100,701 (Rs 86 lakh approx) per year. The UK Space Agency (UKSA), which is responsible for all government and major space missions from the UK, pays an average salary of approximately £40,000 (Rs 46 lakh approx) for starter positions and £86,000 (Rs 99 lakh approx) for experienced astronauts. Similarly, the average salary for astronauts of the European Space Agency (ESA) typically ranges from €6,301 (Rs 6 lakh approx) per month to €9,035 (Rs 9 lakh approx) per month. Considering this, the experienced astronauts in supervisory roles at NASA can earn upwards of $104,898 (Rs 90,16,371.22 approx) annually.
At the same time, if you think Shubhanshu Shukla got a pay bump for this trip to the ISS, you’ll be wrong. India had reportedly spent Rs 548 crore on the Axiom-4 mission, which is for his training, launch logistics, travel, and research being conducted by
