For 17 hours and 47 minutes, which is longer than it would take to binge watch the entire first season of Star Trek: Discovery, astronaut Dave Williams spacewalked outside the International Space Station in 2007 establishing an interstellar Canadian record.  

More than a decade later, the record still stands and Williams – now retired as an astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency – will recount his incredible journey and many other space adventures in his soon-to-be-released autobiography, Defying Limits: My Life as an Astronaut, Doctor, and Explorer. 

While the book won’t be published until this Fall, Western University students, scientists, faculty and staff won’t have to wait as they will hear from Williams directly on Friday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m. when the legendary Canadian spacewalker delivers the keynote talk, titled Missions Beyond Earth Orbit: Extending the Time Distance Constant of Human Space Exploration, at the annual Space Day @ Western event. 

Many space industry partners and government officials are also expected to attend the day-long event, which will be held in Western’s Physics and Astronomy Building, Room 100 and the Atrium from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Space Day @ Western will also feature two panels discussions on “Non-academic careers in Space” and “The future of Canada in Space,” as well as poster presentations from students and faculty ‘lightning’ talks. 

“This event aims to bring together undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and faculty from across campus who study space, or whom use space to understand Earth,” says Gordon ‘Oz’ Osinski, Director (Acting) of Western’s Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration and the NSERC/MDA/CSA/CEMI Industrial Research Chair in Earth and Space Exploration. “Space Day is always an exciting and inspiring event and this year, it will be out of this world with Dave Williams coming to Western.”

For a complete schedule, please visit http://www.cpsx.uwo.ca/about_us/events/space_day.html

Media are welcome to attend.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer, 519-661-2111, ext. 85165, 519-520-7281 (mobile), jrenaud9@uwo.ca

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