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meet the various licensing requirements in new countries and regions. We con- tinue to pursue regulatory authority to distribute mobile satellite services into countries such as Russia. We look for- ward to eventually becoming a premier provider of services there given the countrys extensive areas still under- served by terrestrial systems and other satellite communications ? particularlymaritime.If you had the power to unilaterally enact one change, one philosophy or one piece of legislation that would most dramati- cally increase your business, what would it be and why? DeschSince many of your readers have been following Iridium, you know that our next-generation constellation, Irid- ium NEXT, is designed with the ability to support hosted payloads? on each ofthe 66 satellites that will encompass theconstellation. We are close to announc- ing what that hosted payload will do, anddetails about the new business we plan to help create, going beyond our tradi- tional communications service. Were spending the majority of our effort on forming a global aviation monitoring business, with strategic partners, which would deploy a payload that monitors aircraft all over the world and then sup- plies that information in near real-timefor air traffic control ? particularly over the oceans where there is no radar cov- erage today. We are incredibly excited about it, but I have to admit, I originally thought our hosted payload in spacewould have been rented out to a govern- ment agency for their use instead of them launching their own, very expen- sive satellites. Given the budget envi- ronment of the U.S. Government right now, I would say, if I had the power to unilaterally enact change, I would waste no time opening up the funding flow for more public/private partnerships around hosted payloads. U.S. Government or- ganizations should be looking for their missions to hitch low cost rides into space first, rather than through the op- portunistic manner in which they do today. Im hoping they figure out how to do this more effectively in time for when we start planning our third-gener- ation Iridium satellite constellation in 15years or so!80Maritime Reporter & Engineering News INTERVIEWFIVE MINUTES WITH MATT DESCH, CEO, IRIDIUM Iridium also is playing an important role in the battle against pirates. One of the Best Management Practices published by the IMO ... is to establish a citadel? ? a hardened safe room below decks where crews can take refuge if pirates seize control of a ship. The citadel design calls for a reliable, secure communication link