MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) has signed a contract worth 2.8 million Canadian dollars ($2.6 million) with the Canadian Department of National Defense to conduct the definition phase for the Polar Epsilon project, MDA announced June 4.

Polar Epsilon calls for space-based, day and night surveillance of Canada’s Arctic and its ocean approaches at an overall cost of 60 million Canadian dollars ($56.6 million).

Polar Epsilon will use essential information collected by MDA’s advanced Radarsat-2 satellite mission, with the definition phase determining the system requirements and design of two new Radarsat-2 satellite ground stations.