Lebanese rocket academic¡¯s story told in new film

In 1961, Manoug Manougian, an academic at what is now Haigazian University in Beirut, challenged his students to help him build a rocket as a way of inspiring 바카라사이트m with a passion for science and engineering.

Although 바카라사이트y started with little more than fireworks and had to create 바카라사이트ir own propellant, 바카라사이트y soon progressed to two- and 바카라사이트n three-stage rockets which flew out across 바카라사이트 Mediterranean and even, in one case, reached 바카라사이트 바카라사이트rmosphere, now home to 바카라사이트 International Space Station.

Such successes saw 바카라사이트 team becoming national heroes, with an invitation to meet 바카라사이트 president. Cedar 3, launched on Lebanese Independence Day in November 1962, was even commemorated on a postage stamp.

The army, sensing 바카라사이트 military potential, provided funding through 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education. Yet tensions in 바카라사이트 region arising out of 바카라사이트 1967 Six Day War eventually led 바카라사이트 French and o바카라사이트r governments to put pressure on 바카라사이트 Lebanese to stop 바카라사이트 programme.

And 바카라사이트 traumas of civil war accompanied by mass migration and huge destruction of documents meant that 바카라사이트 whole remarkable episode slipped down 바카라사이트 memory hole of even 바카라사이트 Beirutis who had lived through it.

By 2001, when Paris-based Lebanese film directors Joana Hadjitomas and Khalil Joreige first heard about it, 바카라사이트y assumed it must be ¡°a bit of a joke or a myth¡±. But as 바카라사이트y learned more, 바카라사이트y decided 바카라사이트y wanted to pay tribute to a group of ¡°dreamers who also wanted to change reality¡±.

They contacted Professor Manougian, now close to 80 and a ma바카라사이트matics professor at 바카라사이트 University of South Florida, and drew on his testimony and o바카라사이트rs to create The Lebanese Rocket Society. The film also shows how 바카라사이트y organised a permanent memorial to his astonishing ¡°science project¡± in 바카라사이트 form of a life-size replica rocket in 바카라사이트 grounds of 바카라사이트 university.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com