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TheLebanese space program was not initially an official government-sponsored effort. Rather, it revolved around the Lebanese Rocket Society which emerged from theHaigazian College Rocket Society, and was founded byManoug Manougian in 1960. The original society gained fame inLebanon after a series of successful launches ofCedar rockets and in 1962 PresidentFouad Chehab announced limited governmental funding for the renamed Lebanese Rocket Society which was also contacted by the Lebanese military to develop weapons.
TheLebanese Rocket Society which was led byManoug Manougian consisted of a small group of students from the Haigazian University. The society developed into the wider Lebanese space program and it produced the first rockets of theArab World, which were capable of suborbital flight.[citation needed]
In November 1960, a group of Haigazian College students got together under the guidance ofManoug Manougian (a Mathematics and Physics instructor) to form the Haigazian College Rocket Society (HCRS).[citation needed] With an initial budget of 750 Lebanese pounds donated by the late MPEmile Bustani, the members of the HCRS set out to prepare single andmultistagesolid fuelrockets.[citation needed] Aspects of the first single-stage rocket were assigned to each student. As a result of the lack of required equipment, the group was obliged to resort to flight testing without any fuel tests in the laboratories. After a number of failures, the project was finally successful.[citation needed] In April 1961, a single-stage solid propellant rocket was launched and reached an altitude of about one kilometer. With further improvements of the solid fuel system, a similar rocket called HCRS-3 was launched up to 2 km.[citation needed]
TheLebanese President,Fouad Chehab, as a result of these experiments, granted financial assistance for the project (10 thousand LL for 1961 and 15 thousand LL for 1962).[citation needed]
During the academic year 1961–1962, the society worked on two-stage rockets with further improvements of the separation system, solid fuel system, and vehicle design. On May 25, 1962, HCRS-7 Cedar was Launched up to 11.5 km, and theLebanese Army was responsible for the security of the launch. In the summer of 1962, two more rockets, Cedar llB and Cedar llC, were launched to a distance of 20 km.[citation needed] New members joined and a new group was formed in 1962, it was called the Lebanese Rocket Society (LRS).[citation needed]
The LRS was directed by a main committee of six members. Further tests were planned on design and construction of multistage rockets.[citation needed] On November 21, 1962, Cedar-3, a three stages solid propellant rocket prepared by the Haigazian group was launched. It had a length of 6.80 m and weight of 1250 kg.[citation needed]
After several other launchings, an accident occurred during the summer of 1964, which hospitalized 2 students who recovered. However, the launch was ended.[citation needed] In 1963, a Cedar IV rocket was launched and reached 90 miles (140 km) altitude, putting it close to the altitude of satellites inLow Earth Orbit.[2] The rocket was later commemorated on astamp.[2]
The final launch by the Lebanon Rocket Society was in 1966.[citation needed]
A reproduction of a 1964 postage stamp was produced by the Lebanese postal service to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Lebanese Independence. Depicted is one of Haigazian College's Cedar rockets.[citation needed] The society and wider Lebanese space programme is the focus of a 2012 film calledThe Lebanese Rocket Society.
