Record-setting Canadian astronaut Dave Williams said that he is not ruling out a return to space.
While he was happy to have experienced two space missions he said that he would love to do it again.
"I figure I've got a few more missions left in me," Williams told 麻豆影视net.
The period of time needed to train for another space mission can vary. Williams said that an astronaut could be ready within six to eight months. However, it took four years for Williams to prepare for the mission he completed last month. On the STS-118 mission, Williams set records for the number of spacewalks performed by a Canadian astronaut.
"The highlight for me still remains standing on the end of the Canadarm looking at this spectacular view of the world beneath me or above me as the case may be and it was just an amazing experience," Williams said.
"Now we get a chance to share that experience we've had with kids and it's gonna be really exciting, hoping to captivate the minds of the next generation."
Williams was speaking from Disney World in Orlando, Fla. where he and the other six crew members of the space shuttle Endeavour were being honoured as part of "NASA Space Day" at the theme park Monday.
The astronauts will be participating in an education session for local schoolchildren. Activities include a question-and-answer session and discussions of experiments that took place on last month's space mission.
However, the children don't have to want to be astronauts when they grow up to participate.
"I think the message for kids is not so much whether they want to be an astronaut or not," Williams said. "It's whether or not they have the passion or the desire to pursue their dreams and believe that their dreams, like ours, can come true."
However, Williams is looking to the younger generation to make progress in future space missions.
"They're part of that generation that's going to take humans back to the moon and lay those footsteps on the path to Mars and that's what's really exciting," Williams said.
"NASA Space Day" represents the first official appearance of the entire Endeavour crew following their return to Earth on August 21.
Mission crew members were scheduled to serve as honourary grand marshals of the park's afternoon parade.
