If someone told you that during the 60′s, rocket science was an emerging area of research in Lebanon, would you believe them? I know I wouldn’t.
What if they told you that the rocket science research was so advanced that it captured the attention of all the regional espionage of that era; and was considered to be a threat to countries such as Egypt, Israel and Syria? Personally, I would assume they got their hands on some Lebanese Red.
Well, it turns out that I underestimated the Lebanese scientists and just gave the outlawed hashish farmers in northern Lebanon a free advertisement…..
Believe or not, it seems that Lebanon did indeed witness some serious rocket science research and testing during the 60′s and had a very active Rocket Science Society. Led by Armenian-Palestinian refugee Manoug Manougian, professor at Haigazian University, the society designed and launched the first Arabic rocket into space and a total of 10 rockets between 1960 and 1967. The apogee of the program was Cedar IV, launched in 1964 emblazoned with the Lebanese flag, was capable of reaching an altitude of 200 kilometers, about the distance of the International Space Station from Earth. Cedar IV became a symbol of national pride and a postage stamp was released to coincide with its launch.
It is this stamp that led Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige to dig into the uncelebrated history of this society and inform the Lebanese of an era of dreams, hope and possibilities.
“When we started this project, it was 2009 and the region was in a depression. We needed dreamers, people like Manoug Manougian,” Hadjithomas explains.
“The film opens with a question: Why does no one remember this space programme?” says Joreige. “At first, we thought it was because there were not enough images, but we managed to find so many.”
Joana and Khalil did not suffice to collecting images and newspaper article about that program, but went further to re-enact the transportation of Cedar IV through the streets of Beirut using their white reproduction, which had been erected as a monument in Haigazian University.
While the Lebanese Rocket Society was pressured to cease operations under pressure from Israel and growing interest from the military to embezzle the projectile discovery, the potential for Lebanon to reach out for outer-space faded even more as the civil war broke and different kinds of rockets conquered its skies.
Thinking of the whole story as a hoax at first, I later rebuked myself for doubting the Lebanese and their potential to conquer the skies and shoot for the outer-space. It made me realize how far we have strayed from what we can reach for as a country and how our current misery has skewed our history and tarnished our dreams.
Its definitely time we stop doubting and do something about it.
Lebanese Rocket Society… Respect !
“It’s not rocket science!” … uh .. yea it is !:P LIKE A BOSS LEB!
Why no one knows about this!!
@abdelnehmeh, did you remove my comment on this thread by any chance? if so why? im pretty sure i had included a link to SGAC lebanon for space enthousiasts…
Hello Remi,
Thank you for actually checking back on the blog and making sure I am kept on track.
I most certainly did not delete any comment, and I have no reason to do so. I am sorry to hear that it has been removed if you are sure it was posted in the first place. I had not been notified of the comment posting on my record of notifications.
Please post it again as I am sure the readers would love to know more about SGAC.
For the records, it is adel not abdel…. I know it is probably a typing error but just in case.
Hi Adel, sorry for misreading your name. It was not a typing error, and actually it’s been since i started reading your blog that i thought the name ‘Abdel’ was not very typical lebanese. Not that i think of it i don’t think the name even exists. funny.
About the comment, it’s weird. It must be that the comment was not posted or something. I did not want to insinuate that you select what gets displayed or deleted but i thought i posted something very relevant.
So since i seem to have unintentionally made a whole fuss about it without wanting, let me use the chance to talk about the link. SGAC is an international organization, supported by the UN, which serves to promote space activities and build networks of people that share this interest in all countries. I started the difficult task of gathering information about space related events in Lebanon just last year, as the lebanon branch did not exist before.
http://spacegeneration.org/index.php/sgac-regions/middle-east/lebanon
In any case adel i insisted on having the link on your blog only because i found you have generally fair opinions in your posts, free from any bias and therefore i assumed your readers share more or less the same openness to diverse social and scientific subjects.
I’ll let it slip also that your blog is the only one i am actually following so far.
Keep up the good work and apologies again.
Rémi
Hello again Remi,
No need to apologize, you have the right to have your comment posted.
Thank you for your feedback and for the valuable information you posted.
I am actually fascinated by your website. Did you do all this by yourself?
Thanks for your feedback! yes, building the page specific to Lebanon was my task, i tried my best to show that there is a potential for growth in the field, and indeed there is some potential if you look at some of the notable figures in the space field today that have had a Lebanese education like any of us. I’m serving as a point of contact for space related events in Lebanon for the moment, so feel free to send me an email i you have any other question, or suggestions as to how to improve! would be glad to hear your opinion about it. cheers!
All I have to say is that am am inspired by your devotion and belief in a field that most people would think is impossible in a country like Lebanon.
It is fascianting to see someone as young as you, judging by the photograph, being so persistent and having such a huge belief in a field that 99% of Lebanese would cosnider a fantasy in our country.
I do not know much baout the space field, but I can tell that you are heading towards a great future. Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help promote your initiative.
If you do not mind me asking: How old are you and how did you get into this and fund your website?
Thank you very much for the encouragements Adel. I’m 21 years old living in Montreal at the moment. I got into SGAC after writing a paper about terraforming in the IAC conference in Cape Town in 2011.
Thanks again.
The paper was a personnal initiative, which got supported and approved by physics professors from AUB and i was also helped by a friend of mine who worked as a co-author.
It is important not to lose hope, and maybe the space field is only one example of all the improvements we have to aim for together in Lebanon. In a way i like the way you said it in a previous post. It is up to us to make the change we want to see in Lebanon. Whether i like it or not i also feel a certain responsibility towards working on improving things in the country. Without going into details, my father living in Lebanon has just resigned his job in the telecommunications ministry over pressure for signing an approval on projects that were more than questionable in terms of corruption and theft of public funds.
Stories like that are common in every single ministry in Lebanon, every institution. Thinking about these things just give me the motivation to try and do something about it.I keep in mind the image of Lebanon that my parents gave me, and hope that some day our generation can do something to reach this ideal. Our next goal should be to have independent young candidates in 2013, that are willing to represent all of those that have had to scatter around the globe like me and you to look for a better future. Your blog is great in that sense. I hope you keep it running and make it grow. All the best and please provide me with your email address, so we can collaborate anytime in the future. I value a lot building networks with people like you. You never know when we might need each other
21 years old!!!!
WOW!!!
If every 21 years old, heck if every one under 30, had the same mentality like you, especially the expats, we would take our Lebanon back…….
Remi, thank you for encouraging me and making me feel that my blog actually resonates in some people and hits the sensitive chord and motivates them to wake up, take initiative and fight for the Lebanon they want.
my email is lebaneseexpatriate@gmail.com, I would love to collaborate with you on anything and promote any events you have on my blog.
All due respect to your dad. the fight for values versus material is difficult and not a lot are willing to carry the arms of values .
Where you born in Lebanon?
Do you read arabic?
haha i didn’t realize 21 is counted as young. I actually already start to feel a bit old. Thanks a lot for the encouragements.
Regarding your blog, it is serving both as a news source from lebanon and (oh joy) a decent, objective and ethic-based assessment of things, just to avoid using the term “point of view”.
I am born in Montreal and i live and study in Montreal at the moment, but i grew up between achrafieh and mansourieh, so Lebanon is far from being “the old home country”. I am very familiar with all the issues and all my family is there. I also read and write arabic, no problem about that.
If you are interested, Adel, i have met through the internet many expatriates that are struggling to make a change. I was thinking about how to start contributing myself. So far i have been waiting for the appropriate time to start. At the moment this is my midterm season and it is very busy, but i can maybe send you an email second week of november and we can discuss how to maybe start to build something up from this network. The focus could be for example on the role of the young generation of expatriates in the next elections or something of the sort. For example your recent blog about expatriates voting is excellent. But im pretty sure you would have better suggestions, so i am totally open to hear them. Starting mid-december i can give it most of my free time since i will be done with the semester then. Let me know! All the best with the continuation.
Young is good, it is different from childish or juvenile.
There are multiple groups and activists trying to provide an alternative for the corrupt warlords. I recommend getting involved with Vote2013/Take Back Parliament group.
I am involved with them from here and they hold skype meeting. Look them up on facebook or check out vote213.org
I would love to maintain the communication and highlight your work whenever you need.
You are doing an amazing job for the Lebanese youth.
Reading the exchange of comments between Remi and Adel I believe I can see a glimmer of hope that maybe Lebanon might have a better future than what I suspect is waiting for her. I am one of the original Dreamers of Haigazian College Rocket Society that later was named Lebanese Rocket society. Keep up the good work.
Parev Hrair,
I am so glad that this blog post did get the attention of one of the original Haigazian Rocket Society members.
Thank you for your supportive feedback.
Would you be willing to provide an interview or maybe even answer a few questions about the rocket society?
If so, please email me at lebaneseexpatriate@gmail.com
Hello Hrair,
Wow, thank you so much for your encouragement. In fact, it is all thanks to Adel which is doing a great job in compiling things on his blog. To be very honest and the least formal possible about it, it is because of people like you, achieving great things with almost nothing to start with, that me and other people of my generation such as Adel are inspired to work and not lose hope.
I look forward to your answer to Adel concerning the interview and i would be delighted to include it on the SGAC Lebanon page with both your permissions. There are so many people who would like to know more about it, especially from such an insider point of view.
Thanks again
Remi.K
I read every single letter on this page, and i can’t but congratulate you guys…just want you to know taht your words are being heard…I hope you keep this motivation and get it translated into actions soon…I personally am ready for any kind of support, even though I know nothing about rocket science
….but just so that you know i’m lebanese…i live in Lebanon, and i’m ready to help in any form
Thanks for asking Charbel! If i may give you an advice on how to help, as well as anyone who sees this post: I’m always looking for space related events in Lebanon (a google or facebook search is often not enough unfortunately) or involving Lebanese people in order to add links of their activities on the website. This is both an an attempt to help connect together Lebanese people with this passion of Space, Astronomy, Aerospace and so on, and It can also serve to promote the activities of certain individuals, for example the next update will talk about a talented and self learned astro-photographer from Saida, taking impressive sky- shots with a simple camera!