Canadian Dave Williams is a physician and a pilot, but he is best known as an astronaut.
A few years after joining the Canadian Space Agency in 1992, he took part in a spaceflight devoted to neuroscience research.
He was assigned to his second spaceflight in 2002, a space station construction flight on Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Setting a new Canadian record for total number of spacewalks, he led two of his three spacewalks in addition to his role as crew medical officer and mid-deck lead.
Williams has logged over 687 hours in space with 17 hours and 47 minutes performing spacewalks.
In an interview with Globalnews.ca, Williams reflected on his experience and shared his thoughts about Canada’s space program.
During the 30-year life span of the space shuttle eight Canadian astronauts flew on 15 missions. In your opinion, how has Canada benefitted from this involvement?
Canada is one of the major space-faring nations of the world due to our expertise in satellites for telecommunication and Earth observation as well as space science, robotics and human space exploration. The missions flown by Canadian astronauts, the amazing capability of the Canadarm and Dextre are a tribute to our excellence in science and technology.
One of the proudest moments of my career took place during my second spacewalk as I rode on the end of the Canadarm II. As I looked to my left I could see the Canadian flag on my shoulder, the payload bay of the Shuttle was 60 feet away with the Canadian logo on the Shuttle arm highlighting a spectacular view of the Earth beyond.
The blue oasis of our planet provided a stark contrast to the harsh black infinite void of space. As I marveled at the magnitude of the panoramic view, I was incredibly proud of the team at the CSA and all of the Canadian engineers, scientists and companies that have played such an important role in our success.
The contributions to Canada’s future are immeasurable; new technologies, new knowledge and an environment to nurture the next generation of Canadian researchers.
Among astronauts from other countries, what is the perception of the Canadarm specifically and the Canadian space program in general?
Canada is regarded throughout the world as a major space-faring nation with incredible expertise in robotics and human space exploration. Our reputation for non-human space utilization and exploration is equally impressive.
When I was on the ISS one of my colleagues jokingly referred to the station as "just the base for the Canadarm"! To me that says it all.
What has been the biggest change in space exploration since you were recruited for the astronaut program in 1992?
The past 19 years have been amazing and it has been an honour to represent Canada as an astronaut. The hardest part is the impact of training and the missions on our families. In my case my spouse and two children have been very supportive of me following my dream of exploring space.
You have been an emergency room doctor, neuroscience researcher and astronaut. Which of these roles is your favourite, and why?
Each has been an incredible experience but for different reasons. Many people I speak with refer to being an astronaut as the best job in the world.
There is no question that it is amazing, yet working in healthcare is also equally amazing.I am currently The CEO at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket working with an incredible world-class team.
As an astronaut, I worked with incredibly talented people in the space program to make seemingly impossible technical objectives possible. Now I am working with another amazing team. In the end it is all about the people we work with that make it an incredible experience!
For more information on Dave Williams, click here.
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