KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A group of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries tour the Space Station Processing Facility. In the foreground, U.S. Ambassador Nancy Brinker, who is the host for the Diplomatic Corps, talks to Russell Romanella, director of the International Space Station and Payload Processing Directorate. Ambassador Brinker is President Bush's representative and liaison to the foreign ambassadors in Washington. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- U.S. Ambassador Nancy Brinker addresses members of the diplomatic corps, who toured NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the rocket garden at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Gilles Noghes, ambassador of Monaco, is interviewed. Noghes is one of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries who toured various facilities around Kennedy. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the rocket garden at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Gilles Noghes, ambassador of Monaco, is interviewed. Noghes is one of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries who toured various facilities around Kennedy. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries gather in the Rocket Garden at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Al Worden talks to members of the diplomatic corps, who toured various facilities around Kennedy. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A group of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries tour the Space Station Processing Facility. At right, Russell Romanella, director of the International Space Station and Payload Processing Directorate, talks about the space station program. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Former astronaut Al Worden talks to members of the diplomatic corps, who toured various facilities around Kennedy. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A group of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries tour the Space Station Processing Facility, looking over the various elements intended to be flown to the space station. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A group of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions from more than 45 countries tour the Space Station Processing Facility. At right, Russell Romanella, director of the International Space Station and Payload Processing Directorate, talks about the space station program. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- His Excellency Jerome Mendouga (left), Ambassador of Cameroon to the United States, and The Honorable Nancy Brinker (right), U.S. Ambassador, accept a presentation from Janet Petro, Kennedy deputy director, on the occasion of The Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions visit to Kennedy. The visit, one of the largest tours undertaken by the diplomatic corps, is part of the State Department's new Experience America program. The international dignitaries were provided an overview of the United States' space exploration programs and NASA's international cooperation in pursuit of exploration and scientific discovery. They visited various locations at Kennedy, including the Space Station Processing Facility and Launch Pad 39A where space shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the International Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, senior government officials from 15 countries participating in the space station program signed agreements in Washington D.C. on Jan. 29 to establish the framework of cooperation among the partners on the design, development, operation and utilization of the space station. Acting Secretary of State Strobe Talbott signed the 1998 Intergovernmental Agreement on Space Station Cooperation with representatives of Russia, Japan, Canada, and participating countries of the European Space Agency ESA -- Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Some of these officials then toured Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility SSPF with NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, at front, sixth from the left. They are, left to right, front to back: Hidetoshi Murayama, National Space Development Agency of Japan NASDA Louis Laurent, Embassy of France Haakon Blankenborg, Norwegian Parliament Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs His Excellency Joris Vos, ambassador of the Netherlands His Excellency Tom Vraalsen, ambassador of Norway Goldin Luigi Berlinguer, Italian minister for education, scientific, and technological research Antonio Rodota, director general, ESA Yvan Ylieff, Belgian minister of science and chairman of the ESA Ministerial Council Jacqueline Ylieff Masaaki Komatsu, Kennedy local NASDA representative and interpreter Serge Ivanets, space attache, Embassy of Russia Hiroshi Fujita, Science and Technology Agency of Japan Akira Mizutani, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Peter Grognard, science attache', Royal Embassy of Belgium Michelangelo Pipan, Italian diplomatic counselor to the minister His Excellency Gerhard Fulda, German Federal Foreign Office Jorg Feustel-Buechl, ESA director of manned space flight and microgravity A. Yakovenko, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs JoAnn Morgan, Kennedy associate director for Advanced Development and Shuttle Upgrades Steve Francois, director, International Space Station and Shuttle Processing Roy Tharpe, Boeing launch site manager Jon Cowart, ISS elements manager John Schumacher, NASA associate administrator for external relations Didier Kechemair, space advistor to the French minister for education, research, and technology Yoshinori Yoshimura, NASDA and Loren Shriver, Kennedy deputy director for launch and payload processing. Node 1 of the ISS is in the background. Photo Credit: NASA