Memories from 1980...A cigar in outer space......by Punch Joe

[El Presidente]

Memories from 1980: A cigar in outer space. by Punch Joe

On September 18th, 1980, the Soyuz 38 spaceship took off from Baikonur, Kazajstán The then Lieutenant Colonel Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez was chosen to be a part of the crew that will run some tests during the flight to outer space. Arnaldo Tamayo was born in Baracoa, Guantánamo province, east of Cuba, in January 29^th,1942. During his childhood he took a job as a shoeshine boy until 1959, when he entered the Army to become a pilot. He was later trained in the Soviet Union for over a year and was chosen as a solid candidate for the Interkosmos program.

The joint spaceflight between Cuba - USSR within the Inter-kosmos program was aimed to allow other socialist countries to be a part of the space flights even though France and India were also joining up to the list. A romantic yet kitsch idea was suggested by a Cuban and consisted in taking a sample of Cuban products such as small nickel rocks, miniature palms and Cuban cigars, along with other items that represent Cuba and its culture out to space. Upon return those items were to be gifted to the Head of the Inter-kosmos program at Baikonur. Strike one: Still I don’t see the point in taking all that stuff to the space.

With that in mind, 25 habanos were manufactured at El Laguito by Avelino Lara, Head of the factory. These cigars were sporting a band specially designed to commemorate the occasion which served as a homage to the “Interkosmos” program and the dimensions of the cigar was that of a Coronas Especiales

The only issue was how to pack that cigar in order to travel back and forth from the outer space? Normally cigars are packed in wooden boxes but it was rather impossible to use the traditional wooden case since they will be taken to a different environment. So they decide it to place it into a vacuum-seal crystal tube and then stored in a sealed bag, vacuum-sealed as well.

Strike two: After all that hard work…What’s the fun in packing cigars and take them to the outer space and not to have a smoke up there? That would have been the cherry on the pie.

The now General Tamayo Mendez kept one of those 25 cigars and Humberto Cabezas, who was the Director of the Promotion and Publicity Division of Cubatabaco back then was gifted with such remarkable cigar. No idea where did the 24 left go. Strike three: Astronaut Yuri Romanenko on the soviet side might have smoked them all.

I was a kid in 1980 so I recalled that people were very proud to have sent a Cuban (first in Latin America) out to space, not even knowing that such thing would never be repeated. Mind that only 3 months ago, the massive immigration wave to the US had commenced during the Jimmy Carter administration.

Back to the flying cigar: Good news is that the Humberto’s widow still keeps it. Sorry I can’t deliver that photo but will try to get it someday. Would it be worth to smoke that? Go figure.

[Wil]

Brilliant! A wonderfully obscure slice of history.

[CUBANO]

Thanks. I remember when my patriot went to space.

[OZCUBAN]

Great stuff thanks for posting Rob/punchy

[saver]

Thanks for beautiful story.

[Warren]

Whenever I smoke a cigar I prefer a place with a bit of atmosphere.

[Warren]

I never became a dad but I did buy the joke book.

[Strada]

Great story

[riazp]

Thats awesome!

[CanuckSARTech]

Another great story! Thanks for sharing, Rob & Jose.

[laficion]

Just GREAT , Thank you José.