...Iridium NEXT Mission Team Scholarship program, one of the largest and most significant scholarships in the aerospace industry. Three undergraduate students have been awarded a total of $40,000 by Iridium and the Iridium NEXT Mission Team partners in an objective selection process managed by the AIAA Foundation. The first Iridium NEXT Class of Scholars are:

• Seth Gordon, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
• Monica Hew, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas
• Alexandra Long, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas

"Working together on the world's most significant commercial space program, the Iridium NEXT Mission Team brings together the foremost thought leaders in the industry," said Scott Smith, executive vice president, satellite development and operations, Iridium. "By developing the scholarship program, we intended to support and foster the kind of creativity and commitment to excellence that is prevalent amongst the Iridium NEXT Mission team, and the three recipients this year are great examples of the future of the aerospace industry. We are delighted with the opportunity to support their education and look forward to their contributions to our industry for years to come."

Created as part of Iridium's vision for the future, the Iridium NEXT Mission Team Scholarship program annually awards scholarships to the best and brightest aerospace engineering students in the world. The 2012-2013 winners were selected based on a set of academic and objective criteria including letters of recommendation, a biography and a personal essay. The scholarship fund is made possible through a multi-year commitment by Iridium NEXT Mission Team companies, an innovative group of partners that are working on the company's next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT. By joining together, the Iridium NEXT Mission Team is supporting the development of aerospace students and encouraging new leaders in the industry. Along with contributions from Iridium, the program is being funded by Iridium NEXT Mission Team members including SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp., Thales Alenia Space, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, SEAKR and MDA.