Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez is a Cuban military officer, legislator, and former Intercosmos research cosmonaut. His Soyuz 38 flight made him the first Cuban, first Latin American, and first person of African descent to orbit Earth.
- Born
- January 29, 1942
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Baracoa, Guantánamo Province,Cuba
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
7 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes
Bio
Tamayo came from the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force and trained as a pilot before the Intercosmos assignment. He was selected in 1978 with Cuban backup José López Falcón.
He launched with Yuri Romanenko aboard Soyuz 38 in September 1980, docked with Salyut 6, and conducted research including space-adaptation and microgravity experiments connected to Cuban science priorities.
After the mission, Tamayo received major Cuban and Soviet honors and remained a public figure in Cuba, including military, educational, and legislative work.