How a Cuban shoeshine boy became the first person of African descent in space.

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez rose from humble beginnings in Guantánamo to become a revolutionary pilot and, in 1980, the first Latin American to orbit Earth. His journey from a childhood of poverty to the Soviet Intercosmos program remains a landmark moment in the history of space exploration and international diplomacy.

Born in 1942, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez was orphaned as an infant and raised by adoptive parents in Baracoa. His early life was defined by manual labor, including working as a shoeshine and vegetable vendor at age 13. Following the Cuban Revolution, he pivoted toward aviation, training as a technician before earning his wings as a combat pilot in the Soviet Union by age 19. His military career saw him fly 20 reconnaissance missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis and serve in the Vietnam War.

In 1978, Tamayo was selected for the Soviet Intercosmos program, a collaborative initiative that brought him to Star City, Russia, for two and a half years of rigorous preparation. On 18 September 1980, he launched aboard Soyuz 38 alongside Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko. Their mission to the Salyut 6 space station was not merely symbolic; it included scientific research aimed at understanding space adaptation syndrome and studying sucrose crystallization to support Cuba's sugar industry.

The mission lasted seven days, 20 hours, and 43 minutes, concluding with a challenging night landing. Upon returning, Tamayo became the first recipient of the Hero of the Republic of Cuba medal and was honored as a Hero of the Soviet Union. Beyond his flight, he has served as a legislator in the Cuban National Assembly since 1980, representing his home province of Guantánamo, and held high-ranking roles within the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Tamayo’s legacy is multifaceted, marking him as the first person of African descent and the first individual from the Western Hemisphere outside the United States to reach orbit. His space suit is now preserved at the Museum of the Revolution in Havana, serving as a testament to a career that spanned from the cockpit of a MiG-15 to the silence of Earth's orbit.

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