Dave Williams

After a successful career in medicine, Dave Williams was selected by the Canadian Space Agency as one of four successful candidates from a field of 5,330 applicants to begin astronaut training.

He completed basic training, and in May 1993, was appointed manager of the Missions and Space Medicine Group within the Canadian Astronaut Program. From July 1998 until September 2002, Dave held the position of Director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, making him the first non-American to hold a senior management position within NASA. He was a mission specialist on STS-118, the 119th Space Shuttle flight, the 22nd flight to the International Space Station and the 20th flight for Endeavor. Dave took part in three of the four spacewalks, the highest number of spacewalks performed in a single mission, spending 17 hours and 47 minutes outside, a Canadian record. Dave Williams retired from active astronaut status as of March 1, 2008.