Iridium Engineers Gear Up For Rebelle Rally

Two Iridium® staff are going from satellites to sand dunes as they put together for the 2024 Rebelle Rally. The primary girls’s off-road navigation rally in the USA and the longest aggressive off-road rally within the nation, the Rebelle Rally blends the love of driving with the final word problem of exact map and compass navigation over eight days of competitors. With no cell service and restricted entry to on a regular basis expertise, Iridium stands because the official communications and safety partner.

Groups encompass two members: a driver and a navigator. This 12 months, the Iridium group consists of two software program engineers: Mali Vander Leest (Driver) and Sara Russo (Navigator). Watch our Behind the Community function on Mali right here:

For them, selecting who drives and who navigates was a simple resolution. Mali is an skilled motorcyclist, wanting to drive the sand dunes, whereas Sara is extra element oriented and finest suited to navigate the pair throughout the unknown.

Sara and Mali contemplated taking part within the competitors for some time and speaking to former Iridium Rebelles made them able to tackle this new endeavor. Final 12 months, Iridium had two groups that made waves through the rally. These former Rebelles—together with seasoned competitor, Iridium COO Suzi McBride—are serving to Mali and Sara prepare each mentally and bodily to arrange for achievement.

Workforce #133 Rebelles Mali Vander Leest (left) and Sara Russo (proper).

Coaching and preparation are important in a contest like this. To coach for the Rebelle Rally, Suzi has taken Sara and Mali out in her private Jeep, nicknamed Stormtrooper, which she used twice when she participated within the Rally. The pair has additionally had a number of official coaching periods with Rebelle Rally Founder Emily Miller, together with unofficial coaching periods to maintain up momentum forward of the race.

Mali driving Suzi’s jeep, Stormtrooper.

In relation to an off-roading expertise just like the Rebelle Rally, security and communication are essential. Sara and Mali had been in a position to take a look at their Iridium gadgets throughout coaching, and as engineers engaged on the backend, it’s been thrilling for them to be on the consumer facet.

“As somebody that works in expertise and engineering, the accuracy of our Iridium gadgets continues to be so superb to me, particularly in these distant places,” mentioned Sara.

“I’ve heard so many tales of individuals getting caught someplace remoted and alone with out cell service and a strategy to name for assist,” added Mali. “The cool factor about Iridium is you can name somebody from anyplace on the planet. It provides us peace of thoughts that we are able to go anyplace and get in contact or assist as wanted.” The Rebelle Rally requires a group effort in additional methods than one. Iridium retains Rebelle Rally individuals and employees protected and linked with actually world comms through the occasion together with Iridium companions Icom, Roadpost, and YB Tracking.

Associate Q&As

Discover out concerning the position Iridium companions play through the Rebelle Rally in these conversations: