Brigadier General Peter M. Dawkins, U.S. Army (Ret.), Joins Iridium Board of Directors

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 2, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc.
(Nasdaq:IRDM) is pleased to announce that Peter M. Dawkins, founder and
principal of ShiningStar Capital LLC, and Brigadier General, U.S. Army
(Retired), joined its Board of Directors. The appointment brings Iridium's Board
to ten members.

Prior to founding his current firm, Gen. Dawkins was vice chairman of Global
Wealth Management for Citigroup, vice chairman of the Citigroup Private Bank,
and executive vice president and vice chairman of Travelers Insurance during an
eleven-year tenure with the firm. Previously, from 1991-1996, he served as
chairman and CEO of Primerica Financial Services, and earlier served as head of
the U.S. consulting practice of Bain & Company. During his military career, Gen.
Dawkins served as military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and was
selected as a White House Fellow.

"A proven leader in business and the military, Gen. Dawkins brings outstanding
credentials to Iridium," said Iridium CEO, Matt Desch. "We look forward to
benefitting from his insights and experience as we build our capital base and
embark on the development of our next-generation satellite constellation,
Iridium NEXT."

"Iridium plays an indispensable role as a key provider of reliable, critical
communications lifelines for government and commercial entities, as well as for
private citizens, and I am delighted to be joining the company's Board at this
particularly exciting time," Brig. Gen. Dawkins said.

Gen. Dawkins began his career in the private sector as head of the Public
Financing Banking division of Lehman Brothers. He led a three-year initiative
focused on providing creative financing to overhaul a significant portion of the
physical infrastructure throughout the country.

A 1959 graduate of West Point, Dawkins served in the U.S. Army for 24 years. He
commanded a company in the 82nd Airborne Division, led a battalion in Korea, and
commanded a brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. He was promoted to Brigadier
General in 1981.

Gen. Dawkins holds a Ph.D. and master's degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at
Princeton University. He was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and studied at Oxford
University from 1959 through 1962. In 1963, Time magazine identified him as one
of the "Top 50 Leaders in the U.S." and, in 2006, he received the Horatio Alger
Award.

About Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium is the only provider of mobile satellite communications services
offering 100% global coverage. Iridium's constellation operates in a low-earth
orbit and its satellite network provides communication services to regions of
the world not served by wireless or wireline networks. Iridium offers voice and
data communications services to the U.S. and foreign governments, businesses,
non-governmental organizations and consumers via its constellation of 66
in-orbit satellites, in-orbit spares and related ground infrastructure.
Iridium's commercial end-user base includes the emergency services, maritime,
government, utilities, oil and gas, mining, leisure, forestry, construction and
transportation markets. Iridium's products and related applications are
installed in unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, commercial aircraft, marine
vessels, and ground vehicles. Iridium has launched a major development program
for its next-generation constellation, Iridium NEXT, which will support new and
existing Iridium product and service offerings. Iridium is headquartered in
Bethesda, MD.

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CONTACT: Iridium Communications Inc.
Press Contact:
Liz DeCastro
+1 (301) 571-6257
liz.decastro@iridium.com