Former US President Donald Trump has pledged to personally pay the astronauts who recently returned from space. Addressing a press conference, Trump appreciated the crew’s courage and hinted at paying some of their costs related to the mission.
In his declaration, Trump also expressed his gratitude to SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, who noted the company’s crucial role in making sure that the astronauts made it back home safely. SpaceX spacecraft completed a successful re-entry and splashdown earlier this week.
“This was a tremendous feat, and we are proud of our American astronauts,” Trump added. “I will personally see to it that they are compensated for their efforts.”
The gesture follows increasing public and private partnerships in space travel, with SpaceX led by Musk taking center stage in recent NASA missions.