Lebanon to ‘rejoin space race’

The Republic of Lebanon is set to reignite its space program, more than 40 years after the first Lebanese rocket ascended 140 kilometers into the thermosphere. In a landmark decision, the new government is seeking funding for a multimillion dollar program that could see the country send an astronaut into space within a decade, sources told Executive. Created in 1960 as a science club at Haigazian University in Beirut, the Lebanese Rocket Society was the first attempt at a national space program. It had its heyday with the launch of the Cedar IV rocket in 1963 and inspired a 2012 movie. Spurred on by this movie and the untapped potential of the Lebanese intelligentsia, the new space program will be much more ambitious and may even focus on developing commercial space tourism and shuttle services. Details of the new program remain sketchy and will not be released until approved through an