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Astronauts and Cosmonauts

Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez

International Partner and Guest Astronauts

Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez is a Cuban Air Force pilot who became the first person of African descent to fly in space and the first Cuban citizen to do so, launching aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in September 1980 as part of the Interkosmos program to the Salyut 6 space station. He spent about eight days in orbit conducting joint Soviet-Cuban scientific experiments, and his flight remains a significant point of national pride in Cuba.

Facts
Birth Year
1942 1
Nationality
Cuban 1
Number of Flights
1 2
Firsts
First From Their Country 1
Classification
Astronaut Role
Research Cosmonaut 1
Dating
Selection Year
1978 1
Connections

Associated With

Soviet space program, Space Agencies and Companies
Source Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez

Operated By

Interkosmos, Space Agencies and Companies
Source Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
In the Other Atlases

Nationality

Cuba

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Source Wikidata: Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez
Sources
1. Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
  • Infobox, birth_date
    1942-01-29
  • Introduction
    is a Cuban military officer
  • Lead section
    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.
  • Infobox, selection
  • Infobox, type
  • In Group: Guest Cosmonauts of Partner Nations, Lead sentence
    Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (born 29 January 1942) is a Cuban military officer, legislator, and former cosmonaut.
  • Associated With: Soviet space program, Article text: associated organization
    Between April 1961 and May 1962, Tamayo completed a course in aerial combat with MiG-15s at the Yeysk Higher Air Force School in the Soviet Union, after which he was certified a combat pilot at the age of 19.
  • Operated By: Interkosmos, Cosmonaut career: selection
    In 1978 he was selected to join the Intercosmos program and moved to Star City, Russia for his training as a cosmonaut.
View the Source
2. The Space Devs Launch Library 2: Launch Library 2 astronaut list, records 201 to 300
The Space Devs Launch Library 2Astronaut record 261, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Quote, Astronaut record 261, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
"name": "Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez" ... "flights_count": 1
View the Source
Wikidata: Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez
Wikidata Q362902, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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