Elon Musk is not paying astronauts' salaries

A false claim has been spreading online, stating that Elon Musk is paying astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Bruce" Wilmore for a full year after their recent rescue. This misinformation originated from a satirical Facebook page called "America’s Last Line of Defense." The post claimed, "Elon Musk is paying the salaries of the rescued astronauts for a full year" without providing any evidence. In reality, President Donald Trump mentioned he might pay Williams and Wilmore overtime for their extended stay in space, but he never said anything about Musk being involved. The so-called "news" from the Facebook post is not supported by credible sources. There’s no mention of these claims on NASA’s official website or social media. Additionally, Musk has not commented on the matter. Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth on March 18 after spending nine months in space. This is not the first false claim about them circulating online.