Umberto Guidoni
| Umberto Guidoni | |
|---|---|
 |
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| ASI/ESA Astronaut | |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Status | Retired |
| Born |
18 August 1954 Rome, Italy |
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Other occupation
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Astrophysicist, Science writer |
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Time in space
|
27d 15h 12m |
| Selection | 1996 NASA Group (16) |
| Missions | STS-75, STS-100 |
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Mission insignia
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Umberto Guidoni (born in Rome 18 August 1954) is an Italian astrophysicist, science writer and a former ESA astronaut, being the first European to visit the International Space Station. He is a veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions. He was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2009.
Guidoni earned a doctorate in astrophysics from the University of Rome La Sapienza in 1978 and worked in the Italian Space Agency (ASI) as well as in the European Space Agency (ESA). One of his research projects was the Tethered Satellite System, which was part of the payload of the STS-46 mission. Guidoni trained as an alternate payload specialist for that mission and made his first spaceflight aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-75 in 1996, which included the second flight of the TSS system (TSS-1R).
In 2001, Guidoni participated in the Space Shuttle's STS-100 mission, being the first European on board International Space Station (ISS).
On that flight, the Space Shuttle Endeavour carried the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module for its maiden flight as well as the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), the Canadian robotic arm used extensively to assemble the ISS.
In September 2001, Guidoni was assigned to ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) as crew support for the payloads to be developed for the Columbus Laboratory. Columbus and its payloads are the European contribution to the scientific research performed on board the International Space Station. He retired from active astronaut status in June 2004.
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