On September 18, 1980 after extensive training in the Soviet Union as part of the Soviet internationalist Interkosmos program, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez went into space as part of the Soyuz 38 mission.
He was 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.
Soyuz 38 was a two person mission that brought the crew members to the Salyut 6 space station. The Soviet crew member was Hero of the Soviet Union Yuri Romanenko.
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez was a Cuban air force pilot, joined the Communist Party in 1967 and since 1980 has been a Deputy in the Cuban National Assembly, representing his home region of Guantánamo Province. He was awarded the titles of Hero of the Republic of Cuba and Hero of the Soviet Union.
Soviet stamp in honour of the mission
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