In the early 1960s, while the Cold War superpowers competed for dominance in space, a small college in Beirut launched its own race to the stars. Behind the shell of a mansion on Rue Hamra stands a five-meter rocket—an unlikely reminder of Lebanon’s forgotten space program. Led by a 25-year-old professor and a handful of undergraduates, this improbable mission took Lebanese rockets beyond the edge of space—until geopolitics grounded them for good.
A Space Program Born in a Classroom
In 1960, Manoug Manougian, a newly appointed professor at Haigazian College, started the Haigazian College Rocket Society. With minimal funding and seven students, they built rockets in the mountains, often testing them in risky conditions.
Cedar Rockets Take to the Sky
By 1961, their rockets reached 2 miles. In 1962, Cedar 2 hit 8.6 miles. By 1966, Cedar 8 crossed the Karman line—87 miles high—making Lebanon the first Arab state to launch a rocket into space.
The Army Joins, and the Stakes Rise
The Lebanese army provided support, but concerns grew when foreign governments expressed interest. Manougian refused to militarize the project.
The Final Launch and a Sudden End
With war looming in 1967, Manougian disbanded the society and left Lebanon. The project was shelved, almost forgotten—until rediscovered decades later.
In the 1960s, Lebanon shocked the world with a space program led not by generals, but students.
Behind a mansion in Beirut stands a five-meter rocket—mistaken by many for a relic of war. But this was part of a project that sent rockets beyond the edge of space…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/YBqqpCP3Dt
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) April 21, 2025