Operator
Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)Manufacturer
Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)USSF-44
11/1/2022
The LDPE-2 is the Long Duration Propulsive EELV Secondary Payload Adapter, a satellite bus manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
Brigadier General Tim Sejba is Space Systems Command’s Program Executive Officer for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power and supports using the LDPE-2 platform to cost-effectively prototype new elements of future space architectures and provide frequent, low-cost access to orbit for mission partners.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle will deliver LDPE-2 to near-geosynchronous Earth orbit for a one-year mission life.
LDPE-2 was built using a Northrop Grumman ESPAStar bus which serves as a rideshare service for a variety of payloads.
Northrop Grumman built LDPE-2, which launched aboard the USSF-44 mission in November 2022.
The Northrop Grumman-built LDPE-2 launched aboard the USSF-44 mission in November 2022.