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When the satellite operator approached ColemSpice with the challenge of inserting four new satellite console positions at its Paris control centre, it seemed challenge enough. However, due to the operational logistics of work from the control centre, the whole process had to be carefully planned eight months in advance and then implemented in a matter of days!
The Original Team
In 1996, the control centre was moved to its current location in Paris. At that time, a team of designers and project managers from Spice Design Consultants Ltd, working with Colem Engineering, as well as CWT [Console Workstation Technology one of the foremost specialist GRP manufacturers in Europe], carried out the install.
The Spice team designed and planned the complete operational environment of both the Satellite Control Centre (SCC), which deals with telemetry and monitoring physical satellites, and the Communication System Control (CSC), which has the main function of dealing with payload, as well as monitoring transmissions and interference.
Even back then, Spice Design was aware that future expansion and flexibility needed to be a crucial part of the design for both centres. Therefore console modularity was built in so that essentially each console can be tweaked, moved, or replaced, without impacting the other consoles.
When the original install was carried out, Colem Engineering was a consultant drafted in by the client to manage the move from its original location in Montparnasse to the new location, advising on the RF and power service infrastructure. It marked the start of a long-standing partnership between Colem Engineering and Spice Design, the two companies having since worked on numerous international projects together. The relationship was formalised in 2009 when the two companies joined forces to form ColemSpice.
The Return
For the client, it made perfect sense to bring back the original team for the changes for a number of reasons. Firstly, the quality of the original install was such a high level, with hardwearing and flexible consoles, which are still going strong. Of course, having installed the equipment originally, there was also familiarity, with each company already knowing and understanding the setup of the technical infrastructure, as well as having in-depth knowledge and understanding of satellite operations and logistics, and satellite control management.
By bringing back CWT to complement its own expertise, ColemSpice was able to drastically reduce the amount of physical and technical investment needed from Eutelsat, meaning that the impact on operations was minimal.
However, as mentioned above, time was critical. The fleet of satellites is managed by a highly skilled team of satellite network controllers within the SCC. Satellite behaviour is constantly monitored and any potential problems are rapidly dealt with, thus maintaining a high-quality platform for customers' services. Having the control centres out of action or even not working to full capacity was not an option, yet at the same time this project was important for the expansion of capacity.
Therefore, during the project itself, the entire satellite operation was relocated to ensure no downtime, and planning ahead was specifically important to ensure effective implementation. ColemSpice drew up pre-planning documents eight months ahead of the actual install, detailing the exact motions hour-by-hour, over several days.
The Next Stage
To reach the current desired capacity meant adding an additional four consoles. However, the client is looking to the future and aware that demand will be even greater in a matter of years, therefore the next stage in the project is to change operational workflow and upgrade the software to enable dual satellite monitoring per console. This would mean that each console essentially can handle two satellites instead of one, thus effectively doubling the control centre’s overall capacity.
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