Dafydd (Dave) Williams : Dave Williams was born May 16, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and graduated from McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, with a Bachelor of Science, Major in Biology (1976). He later obtained a Master of Science from the Physiology Department, a Doctorate of Medicine and a Master of Surgery from the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University (1983). He completed his residency in family practice in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, (1985).
In June 1992 the Canadian Space Agency selected Dr. Williams 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. In January 1995 he was selected to join the international class of NASA mission specialist astronaut candidates and reported to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in March 1995 for a year of training and evaluation.
In April 1998 Dr. Williams participated in STS-90 as Mission Specialist 3 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. During the 16-day flight, called Neurolab, the crew performed experiments dedicated to the advancement of neuroscience research, focused on the effects of microgravity on the brain and the nervous system. Dr. Williams served as the crew medical officer, the flight engineer during the ascent phase, and was trained to perform contingency spacewalks.
From July 1998 until September 2002, Dave Williams held the position of Director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. With this appointment, he became the first non-American to hold a senior management position within NASA. He concurrently held a six-month position as the first deputy associated administrator for crew health and safety in the Office of Space Flight at NASA Headquarters in 2001.
Dr. Williams returned to space on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-118 which launched on August 8, 2007. During the mission, the crew successfully added a truss segment, a new gyroscope and an external stowage platform to the International Space Station. Dr. Williams took part in three of the four spacewalks, the highest number of spacewalks performed in a single mission. He spent 17 hours and 47 minutes outside, a Canadian record. On August 21, 2007 Endeavour landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center following a 12 day, 15 hour and 55 minute mission.
On March 1, 2008, Dr. Williams retired from the Canadian Astronaut Program.
Selection: CSA 1992 - Class 2
Number of Spaceflights: 2
Missions: STS-90 (April 17 - May 3, 1998)
STS-118 (August 8 - 21, 2007)
Time in Space: 28 days, 15 hours, 46 minutes
Spacewalks: 3 (17 hours, 47 minutes)
Left CSA: March 1, 2008
