MDSCC Progressive Commissioning
Madrid, Spain · Sep 2019 – Jan 2025
Overview
The Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex (MDSCC) is one of three NASA facilities that maintains continuous contact with interplanetary spacecraft. Modernizing its powerhouse controls meant replacing protection relays, generator controllers, and network infrastructure on a live site — while the complex continued tracking deep-space missions around the clock.
The scope: 31 protection and control devices commissioned using a progressive, board-by-board approach that maintained mission operations throughout every phase of the cutover. The brownfield commissioning methodology — deterministic rollback, hybrid-mode operation, maintenance-window scheduling — transfers directly to data center retrofit programs.
Technical Scope
31 devices commissioned across three vendor platforms, organized by engineering function:
- Protection: SEL-751 feeder relays, SEL-700G generator relays
- Automation & Control: SEL RTAC-3530 gateways for DCS logic and SOE; SEL-2440 discrete I/O
- Generator Management: Woodward easYgen 3400 genset controllers, Woodward LS-6 synchronizers and load share
- Networking: Cisco IE-2000 edge switches — PRP dual-star topology
Each device required individual configuration, factory acceptance testing, field wiring verification, and functional commissioning before cutover — then integration testing with the broader system after cutover.
Methodology & Approach
The commissioning methodology was board-by-board: each MV switchboard was modernized as a complete unit while remaining boards continued operating on legacy controls. This approach required:
Pre-cutover preparation per board:
- Device configuration and bench testing off-site
- Control power and network pre-wiring with temporary isolation
- Rollback procedures documented and dry-run tested for each phase
Cutover execution:
- Scheduled during low-mission-demand windows (coordinated with JPL mission planning)
- Legacy controls disconnected, new devices energized, and functional testing executed within the maintenance window
- Deterministic rollback points at each phase — if any test failed, the board reverted to legacy controls within the same window
Post-cutover verification:
- Interlock testing (protection trip sequences verified device-to-device)
- Load transfer testing (manual and automatic modes)
- Black-start drills (generator startup from dead bus conditions)
- Integration testing with previously commissioned boards
The progressive approach means the site operated in a hybrid state — some boards on modern controls, others on legacy — for extended periods. The controls architecture was designed to handle this mixed-mode operation, with protocol bridging between new IEC 61850 devices and legacy DNP3/Modbus equipment.
PROGRESSIVE COMMISSIONING
No Shutdowns. No Schedule Extensions.
Board-by-board cutover with deterministic rollback points — your commissioning progresses within planned maintenance windows, not around emergency shutdowns.
Platforms & Integration
Three vendor platforms coordinated during commissioning:
- SEL for protection, I/O, and gateway functions — the backbone of the new controls architecture
- Woodward for generator management — synchronizing, load sharing, and genset control
- Cisco for industrial networking — PRP dual-star topology providing zero-switchover-time redundancy
Each platform has its own commissioning procedures, test sequences, and acceptance criteria. One engineering team owned the integration testing across all three — verifying that a protection trip on a SEL-751 correctly inhibited generator paralleling on a Woodward LS-6 through the RTAC gateway, for example.
Results
Thirty-one devices commissioned across three vendor platforms — all within planned maintenance windows, with deterministic rollback points at every phase. The complex maintained continuous deep-space communication operations throughout.
The board-by-board methodology, with deterministic rollback points and hybrid-mode operation, is directly transferable to data center retrofit programs where your commissioning must fit within partial outage windows — no full-site shutdown required. Full-shutdown commissioning compresses every test sequence into a single high-pressure window. When something fails, the schedule absorbs the retest — and the prime absorbs the LD exposure.
For prime contractors managing brownfield schedules, the board-by-board approach means commissioning progresses within the maintenance windows your team already plans — no surprise schedule extensions.
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