Polar Epsilon is a Canadian Forces project to provide enhanced all-weather day and night surveillance capabilities utilizing imagery from the RADARSAT-2 earth observation satellite.
It uses information from RADARSAT-2, launched in December 2007, to produce imagery for Canadian military commanders to use in order to conduct operations in their areas of responsibility.
The RADARSAT-2 information is used in many ways, including surveillance of Canada's Arctic region and maritime approaches, the detection of vessels, and support to CF operations globally.
The implementation phase of Polar Epsilon began in March 2009 with the design and construction phase of two new RADARSAT-2 ground stations, by MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), one on the east coast in Masstown, N.S., and the other on the west coast in Aldergrove, B.C.
[7] The three satellites forming the RADARSAT Constellation launched on June 12, 2019,[8] providing continuity of data for Polar Epsilon.