Space Science and the Arab World: Astronauts, Observatories and Nationalism in the Middle East

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Space Science and the Arab World: Astronauts, Observatories and Nationalism in the Middle East
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Joerg Matthias Determann
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 138
Category/GenreObservatories, equipment and methods
Space science
ISBN/Barcode 9781838600150
ClassificationsDewey:338.4762940956
Audience
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Illustrations 8 bw integrated

Publishing Details

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
NZ Release Date 25 July 2019
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

When Sultan bin Salman left Earth on the shuttle Discovery in 1985, he became the first Arab, first Muslim and first member of a royal family in space. Twenty-five years later, the discovery of a planet 500 light years away by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey - subsequently named `Qatar-1b' - was evidence of the cutting-edge space science projects taking place across the Middle East. This book identifies the individuals, institutions and national ideologies that enabled Arab astronomers and researchers to gain support for space exploration when Middle East governments lacked interest. Jorg Matthias Determann shows that the conquest of space became associated with national prestige, security, economic growth and the idea of an `Arab renaissance' more generally. Equally important to this success were international collaborations: to benefit from American and Soviet expertise and technology, Arab scientists and officials had to commit to global governance of space and the common interests of humanity. Challenging the view that the golden age of Arabic science and cosmopolitanism was situated in the medieval period, Determann tells the story of the new discoveries and scientific collaborations taking place from the 19th century to the present day. An innovative contribution to Middle East studies and history of science, the book also appeals to increased business, media and political interest in the Arab space industry.

Author Biography

Joerg Matthias Determann is Assistant Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. He is the author of Researching Biology and Evolution in the Gulf States and Historiography in Saudi Arabia (both I.B.Tauris). He has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at Zentrum Moderner Orient and Freie Universitat Berlin, and holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London.

Reviews

The book is valuable as one of the first sustained studies into the burgeoning phenomena of Arab investments in science broadly. * Isis * Determann's account is fresh, funny and perceptive. * Times Literary Supplement *