USSF-44 (Shepherd Demonstration & LDPE-2)

The Shepherd Demonstration is designed to test new technologies to enhance safe and responsible rendezvous and proximity operations. It will accelerate risk reduction efforts to inform future Programs of Record.

The second Long Duration Propulsive ESPA (LDPE-2) will deliver six payloads that advance communications, space weather sensing and other technologies into near-geosynchronous orbits. Multiple commercial and government partners worked together to ensure the success of this multifaceted and important mission. LDPE-2 also hosted 3 payloads: Mustang, Xenon and Energetic Charged Particle-Lite.

Tetra-1 is an experimental satellite designed for a variety of prototype missions in and around geostationary orbit, or GEO. The small sat will help Space Force operators develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for Department of Defense missions. Tetra-1 was deployed from LDPE-2.

Alpine is a mission to demonstrate GEO small satellite designs and leverage commercial GEO communications. Alpine was deployed from LDPE-2.

Lockheed Martin’s In-space Upgrade Satellite System (LINUSS) is a pair of 12U CubeSats designed to demonstrate how small satellites can serve an essential role in sustaining critical space architectures in any orbit. LINUSS was designed to demonstrate how small CubeSats can regularly upgrade satellite constellations to add timely new capabilities and extend spacecraft design lives. The system’s mission is to validate essential maneuvering capabilities for Lockheed Martin’s future space upgrade and servicing missions, as well as to showcase miniaturized Space Domain Awareness capabilities. LINUSS was deployed from LDPE-2.

Another 10 classified satellites were launched on this mission. These were deployed from LDPE-2 or the Shepherd Demonstration as late as 3 years after launch.