1942day.year
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Cuban military officer, legislator and cosmonaut
Cuban military officer
legislator and cosmonaut
First person of African and Latin American heritage to travel to space as part of the Soviet Intercosmos program.
Born in Guantánamo Province, Cuba, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez joined the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and trained as a military pilot.
In 1980, he flew aboard Soyuz 38 to the Salyut 6 space station, becoming the first Cuban and first Latin American in space.
His mission conducted experiments in space medicine, biology, and materials science under the Intercosmos program.
Following his historic flight, Tamayo Méndez served as a deputy in Cuba’s National Assembly and on the Council of State.
He has received numerous honors, including the Hero of the Republic of Cuba and awards from the Soviet Union.
His journey broke racial barriers and remains an inspiration in aerospace history.
1942
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez