On Wednesday 25 April 2001, Umberto Guidoni, the first astronaut to set foot on the International Space Station, was greeted by Romano Prodi, President of the EC, and Antonio Rodotà, Director General of the European Space Agency, from Brussels. This event was preceded by a morning press briefing by Philippe Busquin, member of the EC in charge of Research, and Antonio Rodotà on the joint Space Strategy for Europe and the role of Europe in the International Space Station.