The Canadian Space Agency says it wants to hire ex-astronaut Dave Williams to help figure out how to get humans to Mars and back in one piece.

But if yousa国际传媒檙e also a medical doctor whosa国际传媒檚 been to space and you think you can do a better job, please let the agency know.

Williams is a doctor with experience on both the shuttle and International Space Station. The space agency posted plans Wednesday saying he will help them connect with medical experts and develop health-care solutions for future astronauts.

sa国际传媒淭he CSA is hoping to be able to sa国际传媒� leverage the expertise that we have in space medicine to create the next generation of on-board care capabilities for deep space exploration,sa国际传媒� Williams told The Canadian Press.

Longer space voyages, such as the years it would take to travel to Mars and perhaps back, mean astronauts will need to take care of their own health concerns, and thatsa国际传媒檚 an area where Canada thinks it can contribute to a global effort to travel to another planet.

With an eye to sending humans to the red planet within two decades, the space agency says it needs the expertise and direct experience of someone like Williams.

It issued an sa国际传媒渁dvance contract award notice,sa国际传媒� essentially an open call for anyone who thinks they can better meet the agencysa国际传媒檚 needs to speak up.

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Of Canadasa国际传媒檚 10 retired astronauts, Williams is one of only three who practised medicine. He holds the Canadian record for time spent on spacewalks: almost 18 hours over three sorties. Hesa国际传媒檚 also spent 28 days in space over two missions and previously led NASAsa国际传媒檚 space and life-sciences directorate.

Williams will be working alongside Thirsk, who, with almost 205 days, holds the Canadian record for time spent in space. The space agency hired Thirsk through a similar process earlier this year.

(The third astronaut-physician is Roberta Bondar, who flew on a Space Shuttle mission in 1992.)

The job involves engaging with Canadian scientists and health experts as well as selling the public on the benefits of investing in space-health science, such as developing technology to administer health care without a doctor physically present, something Williams says could be used in remote northern Canadian communities.

He said space health care is a sa国际传媒渢remendous opportunitysa国际传媒� for Canada.

sa国际传媒淲e could not have built the International Space Station without the Canadarm and the Canadian involvement,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淭he future, of course, is beyond Earth orbit and itsa国际传媒檚 exciting being able to identify major roles that Canada can play in those missions back to the moon and ultimately on to Mars.sa国际传媒�

Thirsk and Williams were members of a 2017 expert group on the potential roles for Canadian health care in deep space flight.

Stephen Cook, The Canadian Press

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