...Iridium NEXT Mission Team Scholarship program. The endowment is a multi-year commitment by Iridium NEXT partner companies to support the development of innovative young aerospace engineers. The company unveiled the program at an Iridium NEXT Mission Team partner event on March 14th in conjunction with SATELLITE 2012 in Washington, D.C. Thales Alenia Space, SpaceX, Orbital Sciences Corp., Lockheed Martin, Boeing and SEAKR, along with Iridium, have already committed almost half of the anticipated $250,000 endowment, and corporate participation is expected amongst the 30 Iridium NEXT Mission Team members. The scholarship program will be administered by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation, and will begin distributing awards to undergraduate students for the 2012-13 academic year.
The Iridium NEXT Mission Team Program will award scholarships annually to the best and brightest aerospace engineering students in the world, including those already engaged in the development of Iridium NEXT through Iridium or partner internships. Each year, scholarship recipients will form the Iridium NEXT Class of Scholars. Iridium NEXT, the company's next generation satellite constellation, is in development and scheduled to begin launching in 2015.
Scott Smith, executive vice president, Iridium NEXT, said, "The Iridium NEXT Mission Team is an unmatched group of aerospace leaders from around the world whose commitment to creating and launching the most cutting edge satellite constellation will not only improve the Iridium network, it will have a lasting impact on the global communications infrastructure as a whole. There is no better way to revolutionize the future of the aerospace industry than by encouraging and enabling the academic pursuit of the world's budding engineers."
The first Iridium NEXT Class of Scholars, as with the years ahead, will be selected by a designated committee of AIAA Foundation education committee members based on a set of academic and objective criteria. The AIAA Foundation fosters growth and ignites interest in science and technology through STEM K-12 education programs, prepares students for the workforce with scholarships, and hosts student conferences, among other initiatives.
"The Iridium NEXT Mission Team Scholarship program will be one of the most significant educational opportunities anywhere in the aerospace industry," said AIAA Foundation president Bob Dickman. "Not only will the contributions of these leading innovators help to support students everywhere, the program is a great complement to the AIAA Foundation's ongoing commitment to investing in the future of the aerospace profession. Together we will make a lasting and positive impact on the future of our industry and beyond."