CREATING IRIDIUM describes how a wife's simple question led to a brilliant idea that turned the space industry upside down. An interlinked network of 66 satellites providing communication to every spot on the globe was unthinkable, world wide operating licenses were believed impossible to attain and raising billions of dollars seemed beyond the reach of a small division of Motorola that was considered a bit player in the space arena. Despite overwhelming odds the Iridium team threw away virtually every standard practice in the space industry, created new models for manufacturing and mega-project management, produced a satellite a day, put 72 satellites in orbit in 13 months and completed the $5b system on schedule and on budget. The Creation of Iridium is an inspiring look at how a remarkable team's passion to do the impossible resulted in one of the great technological achievements of our time. After a system lifetime lasting 10 years beyond the expected, the benefits of Iridium to the world continues with the replacement of the original satellites by Iridium NEXT beginning the second half of 2016. . . A high-flying story of one of the most remarkable technological achievements of our generation. Hillis vividly documents the creativity, hard work, and dogged determination by a talented team of Motorola employees working in the Arizona desert to launch the world's first global satellite phone system. Creating Iridium is an inspiring tale of teamwork and dedication, and proves that despite seemingly insurmountable odds, reaching for the stars is a dream that can indeed come true.     - Dirk Cussler, Author of Havana Storm