LDPE 1, 2, 3A (ROOSTER 1, 2, 3A)

LDPE 1 [Orbital ATK]

LDPE (Long Duration Propulsive EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA)) are experimental satellites built for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missiles Center (AFSMC) to carry small payloads and deploy small satellites.

Orbital ATK, now Northrop Grumman, had been awarded a contract in December from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missiles Center (AFSMC) to build LDPE space platforms. The innovative platform, positioned between the launch booster and a primary space vehicle, is used to carry small payloads or deploy small satellites. Under the contract, Orbital ATK will design and manufacture the LDPE using its ESPAStar platform. The award includes the initial LDPE, plus options for two additional systems.

ESPAStar uses a modified EELV Secondary Payload Adapter ring as its structure and is capable of being launched aboard any launch vehicle that meets the EELV standard interface specification. It provides a modular, cost effective and highly capable platform for hosting technology development and operational payloads. ESPAStar leverages work performed on the company-designed EAGLE (ESPA Augmented Geostationary Laboratory Experiment), which successfully demonstrated similar technology for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to EAGLE, two ESPAStars are currently in production for other customers.

ESPAStar provides power, pointing, telemetry, command and control for attached payloads or for small satellites that can be deployed from the vehicle. Built to provide an even greater level of access to space, Orbital ATK's ESPAStar can accommodate any combination of up to six hosted or 12 separable, free-flyer payloads in low and geosynchronous orbit.

The LPDE program has been renamed ROOSTER (Rapid On-Orbit Space Technology and Evaluation Ring), but the first three missions are still refered to by the name LDPE.

LDPE 1 will fly on the STP-3 mission on an Atlas-5(551)² together with the STPSat 6 main payload. The mission carries four experiments, which could be either hosted or deployable. The experiments have not yet been disclosed. At least one satellite, ASCENT, will be deployed from LDPE 1.