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Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Becoming the first Latin American and first person of African descent to reach space.
Soyuz 38 · Experiments
- Born
- 29 January 1942
- Birthplace
- Baracoa, Cuba
More people
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez is a Cuban former cosmonaut who flew to the Salyut 6 space station in 1980.
Early life
Baracoa childhood
Was orphaned young and raised by an adoptive family.
Early work
Worked in manual jobs before entering military aviation.
Career
- 1960s
Pilot training
Trained as a military pilot in the Soviet Union.
- 1978
Intercosmos selection
Entered the Soviet-led international space programme.
- 1980
Soyuz 38
Flew with Yuri Romanenko to Salyut 6.
Missions & milestones
Soyuz 38
Completed a mission lasting nearly eight days.
Experiments
Conducted research aboard the orbital station.
Wider participation
Became a landmark figure in Latin American space history.
Beyond spaceflight
Later service
Continued a military career in Cuba.
Public role
Also served in Cuba’s national legislature.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Escla. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
