Manoug Manougian

Manoug Manougian is an Armenian scientist, professor, and considered the father of the Lebanese space program. Manougian was born on April 29, 1935, in Jerusalem. He came to the United States in 1956. His parents are Nishan and Sirpouhi Manougian.[1][2]

Manoug Manougian
Born
Manoug Manougian

(1935-04-29) April 29, 1935
Jerusalem
Alma mater
Known for
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions

Personal life and education

Manougian grew up in Jerusalem and was educated at St. George's School, Jerusalem. Manougian won a scholarship to the University of Texas, and he graduated in 1960 with a major in math.[3] Right away, Haigazian College in Beirut was glad to offer him a job teaching both math and physics. The college also made him the faculty advisor for the science club. Manougian met his wife in Armenia c. 1955 when he became her tutor. They eloped shortly after to the United States. While his wife attended school in Ohio, Manougian attended the University of Texas (see above). After graduating, they moved to Beirut.[3]

Career

Manougian married in 1960 and went to Lebanon to become a teacher at Haigazian College.[4]

Lebanese space program

He founded the Haigazian College Rocket Society in November 1960.[5] With a very limited budget, the society launched a series of rockets to increasing altitudes. It received funding from the Lebanese government and became the Lebanese Rocket Society. He and his students finally launched a suborbital rocket in 1963. The Cedar IV rocket, launched on Lebanese independence day, 21 November 1963 from Dbayeh north of Beirut, reached 90 miles (140 km) and was featured on Lebanese stamps.[6]

Teaching

He returned to the United States in 1966. Manougian completed a master's degree and doctorate at the University of Texas and continued his academic career in the Department of Mathematics at the University of South Florida. He is currently still a professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University.[7] He also acts as an adviser for the University's Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry which is currently trying to launch to rocket above the kármán line.[8]

Views and politics

As a member of the Armenian diaspora, he has been known to write editorials advocating awareness about the Armenian genocide. He is also a co-author and associate producer of a 4-hour documentary called The Genocide Factor: The Human Tragedy, that aired on PBS.[9][10] In addition, he vehemently believes that rocketry and science should be pursued for solely peaceful means.[3] Consequentially, he turned down multiple lucrative offers during his time in the Lebanese Rocket Society rather than let his work be used for military purposes.

References
  1. Sheldon Chad. "The Forgotten Apogee of Lebanese Rocketry". Saudi Aramco World. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. Mehr Nadeem (March 29, 2017). "An Interview with Dr. Manoug Manougian, Former Leader of the Lebanese Rocket Society". thepolitic.org. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  3. Alex Hannaford. "The Lebanese Rocket Society - The Telegraph review (14/10/2013)". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  4. Peter Schwartzstein (October 17, 2016). "The Bizarre Tale of the Middle East's First Space Program". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  5. Richard Hooper (November 14, 2013). "Lebanon's forgotten space programme". BBC News. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  6. Gorune Assarian; Virginie Daldalian. "HU produced the 1st rockets shot in the Arab world". Haigazian University. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010.
  7. "Department of Mathematics - Dr. Manoug N. Manougian". University of South Florida. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  8. Spata, Christopher (January 15, 2020). "USF's rocket club is an underdog. Can it win a $1 million space race?". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  9. Brenda Medina (October 19, 2010). "An address to Armenia". The Oracle. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  10. "Lesson ignored: the Armenian Genocide". The Tampa Tribune. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016.
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