Look Who's Flying

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the once star-crossed Iridium satellite network has gone from goat to hero. First its portable satellite phones, which it rushed to the scene, provided emergency communications to rescue crews at ground zero and at the Pentagon in the moments after the attack when fixed-line and cellular networks were out. Next Iridium will go to war with the special forces; it's the only phone that meets U.S. National Security Agency encryption standards. The lightweight handsets are also a boon to soldiers who need to keep equipment to a bare minimum.

Motorola launched...