Canadian Astronaut Dave Williams Ready to Go for August Space Launch
Posted on: Wednesday, 11 July 2007, 18:02 CDT
LONGUEUIL, Que. (CP) - Canadian astronaut Dave Williams says he's excited about the prospect of performing three spacewalks when he returns to space aboard Endeavour next month.
The launch will be the second space voyage for Williams and his first trip to the International Space Station. Speaking via satellite from Houston, Texas, Williams, 53, says the choreography involved in spacewalks should keep him on his toes.
Endeavour is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on August 7.
Williams could set a Canadian record by spending 19 hours outside the space station during three potential walks.
The mission could last up to 14 days.
Fellow Canadian astronaut Julie Payette told reporters at the Canadian Space Agency near Montreal that Williams has spent hundreds of hours training for the mission.
Williams will help install a truss segment on the space station and perform a Canadian experiment to test eye-hand co-ordination in space.
Endeavour hasn't flown since the Columbia disaster in 2003, which grounded the shuttle program for 2 ½ years.
The shuttle has been upgraded and fitted with a cable that will allow it to connect to the space station to charge its batteries and prolong docking time.
The length of the mission and Williams' third spacewalk will depend on the connection working.
Source: Canadian Press
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