Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez | |
|---|---|
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez in Moscow, 2022 | |
| Born | 29 January 1942 |
| Status | Retired |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Republic of Cuba Hero of the Soviet Union |
| Space career | |
Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut | |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
Time in space | 7d 20h 43m |
| Selection | 1978 Intercosmos Group |
| Missions | Soyuz 38 |
Mission insignia | |
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (born 29 January 1942) is a Cuban military officer, legislator, and former cosmonaut and the first person of African heritage in space. In 1980, as a member of the crew of Soyuz 38, he became the first Cuban citizen, the first Latin American, the first person of African descent, and the first person from a country in the Western Hemisphere other than the United States to travel into Earth orbit.