The Lebanese Rocket Society Page #2

These reels are newsreels?

Perhaps, we have to look inside.

We finally come across some current

events footage from the 1960s.

But our joy is cut short...

What about our own films?

Around The Pink House

They are still here.

Manougian doesn't seem to have

forgotten about this adventure.

Today, a professor at University

of South Florida's math dept.

which he chaired for 10 years

he dedicates a significant part

of his website to the space project.

Another headline draws our attention:

"Peace through education".

To Manoug, science and education

are a life mission.

The hopes that transpire

from all this

prompt us to board a plane for Tampa.

Manoug is moved by our interest.

He's been waiting to share this

since he left the Arab world

more than 45 years ago.

Rockets are his life's passion.

As a young child in Jerusalem

where he was born

at the St. George school

he used to draw rockets on his desk.

His dream could come true only once

he arrived in Lebanon, at Haigazian.

Even the choice of Tampa

was dictated to him by Jules Verne.

Yes, Jules Verne!

In "From the Earth to the Moon"

Verne sets his rocket launch there

in Tampa.

He discovered a century before NASA

that it affords the best latitude

for that purpose.

How did he know?

Manoug still can't explain it.

So when he received

the invitation to teach in Tampa

he saw it as a sign.

On the table

we find an unexpected treasure:

the first rockets

the very small ones

and also the Cedars:

Cedar 2A, Cedar 2B, C, 3...

up until Cedar 8.

From the smallest to the largest

photographs, articles

loads of films.

Manoug saved everything.

For over 50 years, carefully.

We're overwhelmed.

And Manoug gives us his treasure.

He longs for us to tell this story

that is gradually coming together.

To say:

We'd love to fly rockets in the sky.

To say:
What do we need to do that?

Propellant?

We don't have any.

So let's make it.

The rocket? We build it.

We make bigger rockets

launch them higher and higher...

To dream and believe it is possible.

To want to do it and do it.

To say:
I want to share

this dream of space with others.

Manoug and his students

were driven by this.

The world then

was a world of possibilities.

In any case

that's how we imagine it.

Soon the project of conquering space

will be shared by another man.

I met Manougian

at a hotel

owned by a friend of mine.

He called Manoug and said:

"I want you to meet my friend

a young lieutenant

specialized in ballistics."

Manoug asked me to work

with the Haigazian's students

who had begun their experiments.

The students had pooled

their meager savings.

I don't even know

if the University chipped in.

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