Arnaldo Tamayo MéndezStatus: Retired 1/29/1942 – Nationality: Cuban Type: Government First Flight: 9/18/1980 Last Flight: 9/18/1980Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (born January 29, 1942) is a Cuban military officer, legislator, and former cosmonaut and the first person of African heritage in space. As a member of the crew of Soyuz 38, he became the first Cuban citizen and the first person from a country in the Western Hemisphere other than the United States to travel into Earth orbit.LaunchesSoyuz-U | Soyuz 38Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)Type: Government Abbreviation: RFSA Administration: Administrator: Dmitry Rogozin Founded: 1992 Launchers: Soyuz Spacecraft: Soyuz Country: RUSThe Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, commonly known as Roscosmos, is the governmental body responsible for the space science program of the Russian Federation and general aerospace research. Soyuz has many launch locations the Russian sites are Baikonur, Plesetsk and Vostochny however Ariane also purchases the vehicle and launches it from French Guiana.