The Kingdom of Cochin announces its Space Station Program called Project Trisanku. This multistage permanently manned Space Station is designed to orbit in the Middle Earth Orbit and would be serviced by the Pushpak flights. The Cochin Space Research Organization, the Varma Institute for Fundamental Research and the Royal Cochin Observatory are the principal agencies involved in this monumental work.

The Project Trisanku is headed by Dr. Govindan Nair, a highly respected scientist from CSRO who had played a pivotal role in the recently completed Project Antrix. Assisting Dr. Nair, who is the Project Director would be a panel of the top most research scientists and engineers from all over the country.

Project Trisanku has released this blow up diagram of the proposed components of the Trisanku Space Station.



Several of the core components have been completed already with many more stages in varying degrees of completion and development. Dr. Nair said that Project Trisanku would be a very long project lasting for several years before the entire system is fully launched and operational. Many core technologies have to be developed from scratch for this monumental work.

Once fully launched the TSS is expected to have a permanent crew of 10 with a transitory crew of 15. The TSS would be a platform for research on various research projects including a massive telescope for exploring the deeper reaches of the universe and would in due time give data to support further long term space exploration missions.

The first part of the Project Trisanku was launched by a Yama-1 rocket from Karagandy Space Launch Center. The payload is the FGB, Functional Cargo Block which would be providing power, propulsion, storage and guidance to the various parts of the Trisanku during the initial phase. The 19000 kg module has three docks for connection with the subsequent parts of the Trisanku. The FGB has two deployable solar panels and antennae for collecting extra power from the Tesla satellites via microwave.

FGB would be launched to its 500 km Low Earth Orbit by the Yama when its solar panels and antennae get heated by solar power and through a procedure of shape memory, would regain its functional shape.



All Trisanku components would be launched to the altitude of 500 km to form up before undergoing terminal flight to attain its designated final orbit.

CSRO announces that the FGB has been launched to its mission orbit and that its solar panels have deployed completely. The module is now fully operational and has tested its power receiving potential from the Tesla constellation. The communication links between FGB and ground control is also working satisfactorily.

Project Trisanku announces the successful launch of two more components of the Trisanku Space Station, the Node 1 and its Pressurized Mating Adapter.

Node 1 would be one the principal life support systems of Trisanku, it will be connected to the FGB through the PMA-1. Another PMA would later be attached to facilitate shuttle docking operations.

Node1


Pressurized Mating Adapter -1


The PMA-1 was connected to the Node1 prior to its launch by the PS-1 Space Shuttle from SLA Karagandy. The crew of PS-1 performed extra vehicular activity to perform the necessary connections.

***CLASSIFIED TO KINGDOM OF COCHIN***

With the current success of your project, we inquire as to if SST scientists, philosophers, theorists, and others may be involved in this project. They would for the most part give advice, and help the project along as well as learn for the future when a SST station or satellite is put into orbit. Men can also be provided to help your assembly of the station. If SST civilians can be sent for astronaut training, and be allowed to embark on the first mission to learn for the future, as with the other civilians, this would be excellent.

Please consider this.

xx Classified to Shinsei Shikkoku Teikoku xx

SST technicians and scientists are welcome to participate in the Project Trisanku, however you must understand that certain technologies may not be shared publicly. We have no problem in training some of your personnel to be astronauts and perhaps they could be sent aboard one of our planned routine space shuttle missions.

Project Trisanku launched its third mission with the PS-1 Space Shuttle launching the S0 truss of the Trisanku Space Station. The S0 truss, also called Center Integrated Truss Assembly Starboard 0 Truss, forms the back bone of Trisanku and is used to convey power to the pressurized station modules and conduct heat away from the modules to the Starboard and Port side trusses.

The PS-1 flight was launched from SLC Karagandy and through 5 hours of extra vehicular activity, the 13,900 kg structure was connected to the FGB and Node 1 Modules. It was not docked but rather connected using four Module to Truss Structure (MTS) struts.

Project Trisanku today launched the Zvezda module to the Trisanku Space Station. The Zvezda module shall provide living quarters, a life support system, a communication system (100Mbit/s Ethernet network), electrical power distribution, a data processing system, a flight control system, and a propulsion system to the Trisanku for its soon to be started human occupation.

With the Node 2 to be launched soon, Trisanku would be able to support human life and limited scientific experimentation. A resident crew of 4 shall soon be sent to Trisanku in the next launch who would work in Trisanku for 6 months before undergoing personnel rotation.


Here we have an image of the Zvezda being assembled at the CSRO facility in Pavlodar.



This is an artistic depiction of Zvezda's on orbit configuration.



The Zvezda module was launched by a PS-1 flight launched from SLC Karagandy.

The crew of PS-1 have successfully attached the Zvezda module to the Trisanku assembly and have returned to earth.

The sixth Trisanku Mission is going to be a very important one. In this mission Node 2 and Pressurized Mating Adaptor 2 are going to be installed, thus having a total of 5 habitable modules in operation. In this mission a permanent crew would be transferred to Trisanku to start its human occupation. Three astronauts from CSRO have volunteered for this very dangerous duty. Though it has been tested several times, this would be a crucial test for Trisanku's life support systems.

The Shuttle PS-1 would be undertaking this launch from the SLC Dagring. The PMA2 would be connected to the Node 2 before launch itself. This mission would have an extended crew complement. Apart from Shuttle's operating crew of 4 and the three astronauts who would remain in Trisanku, there would be 7 Mission Specialists. The entire mission is expected to take about 12 days (RP time not RL) during which all existing modules would be activated for human habitation. Sufficient food stocks for 3 months would be transferred to Trisanku by the shuttle crew.

Power would be sourced from the solar panels deployed for the FGB and Zvezda modules.

Here is an image of the Node2 being readied at a CSRO facility in Karagandy.

Pushpak-1 reached the orbit of Trisanku and the extra vehicular activity started. The 7 mission specialists and 3 crew members of Trisanku operated the retracting arms of Pushpak to maneuver the module towards the Destiny module.

In a few hours the Node 2 was attached to the Destiny module and the EVA teams returned to the Pushpak for some rest.

After due rest and recuperation the astronauts set about for the next task to activate the life support systems. While the shuttle's mission specialists positioned themselves all along Trisanku, PS-1 was maneuvered to mate up with PMA-2, the Pressurized Mating Adaptor of Node 2. Through the pressure chambers the 3 Trisanku crew members entered the Node 2 to finally start human occupation of Trisanku. They made their way to Destiny, Node 1, FGB and finally Zvezda module, while the Mission Specialists checked the modules for any faults externally.

Finally after 2 hours of inspection Trisanku was declared fit for habitation by the Trisanku crew and the 7 mission specialists returned to the shuttle.

Later that day a commemorative feast was held inside the Destiny module by the entire team, the 3 Trisanku crew, the 7 mission specialists and the 4 Shuttle crew. Food and drinks were brought in from Shuttle and a video feed was laid directly to the CSRO head quarters in Cochin and other facilities all over the country. Joined in by their friends and colleagues, the astronauts celebrated the commencement of Trisanku as a permanent Space Station with human occupation.

After due celebrations the shuttle crew and mission specialists returned to the PS-1 for the return flight to earth. The pressure locks were opened and PS-1 gingerly separated from Trisanku and started its flight home.

Through the communications link from Trisanku to base stations in Cochin the Trisanku crew sent many photographs and videos of earth. Tomorrow they would start the experiments from Destiny lab.

In yet another shuttle mission, Pushpak Space Shuttle PS-3 today launched the Docking and Stowage Module and Z1 truss segment to Trisanku. The DSM was attached to the FGB while the Z1 truss segment was attached to the Node 1. It was a joint effort by the Mission Specialists aboard PS-3 and the resident astronauts of Trisanku. The food and water supply in Trisanku was also replenished in this mission.

Project Trisanku launched the Joint Airlock to Trisanku Space Station. The Airlock would be attached to the Node 1 and would be a primary airlock for Trisanku Space Station.

The schematic for the airlock is given below.


The airlock was launched on a Yama-1 rocket and it was subsequently assembled to Node 1 by the resident astronauts of Trisanku. This is the first major EVA performed by the resident astronauts without back up from Mission Specialists of a Shuttle. This mission also proved that shuttles need not be used for launch of smaller components which can be assembled by the resident crew itself.

Below is a photograph of the Airlock prior to its assembly with the Node 1.