Tycho station is the largest mobile construction platform in the Sol system, and the Belt headquarters of Tycho Manufacturing and Engineering Concern and, covertly, the Outer Planets Alliance.
Tycho Station, the Belt headquarters of the company, was a massive ring station built around a sphere half a kilometer across, with more than sixty-five million cubic meters of manufacturing and storage space inside. The two counter-rotating habitation rings that circled the sphere had enough space for fifteen thousand workers and their families. The top of the manufacturing sphere was festooned with half a dozen massive construction waldoes that looked like they could rip a heavy freighter in half. The bottom of the sphere had a bulbous projection fifty meters across, which housed a capital-ship-class fusion reactor and drive system, making Tycho Station the largest mobile construction platform in the solar system. Each compartment within the massive rings was built on a swivel system that allowed the chambers to reorient to thrust gravity when the rings stopped spinning and the station flew to its next work location.
Tycho makes regular campaign contributions to Earth and Mars politicians. If anyone were to attack the station, half of the United Nations assembly and all the Martian Congress would be howling for blood making Tycho Station the safest place in the Belt.
Sections
Habitat ring
The habitat ring is where the population of the station lives. It utilizes spin-gravity, containing the station‘s offices, as well as many civilian homes and facilities.
Construction dome
The construction dome was the central area of the station in which the majority of ships were constructed. The vessel not constructed within the dome was the colossal Nauvoo.
Engineering is within the dome including auxiliary engineering and the stations engines.
History
Eros Incident
 “Welcome to the future” — Spoilers for Leviathan Wakes follow.
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At the time of the Eros incident, the Nauvoo was in construction at Tycho Station.
When it was decided by Fred Johnson's OPA faction to destroy Eros before the Protomolecule could spread the near complete Nauvoo was commandeered and moved away from the station.
Post Ilus/New Terra conflict
| “Catching fire” — Spoilers for Nemesis Games follow.
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After returning from Ilus/New Terra the Rocinante docks at Tycho for a major overhaul. Upon nearing the completion of this overhaul a ship in proximity to the Station began firing upon it. Simultaneously two Belters in spacesuits stormed Fred Johnson's office but were killed by Fred and James Holden. At various points across the station security became engaged with the attackers and successful repulsed them. Station defenses also knocked out the attacking ship, but afterwards it was discovered that a specialized torpedo was fired into Fred's office that grabbed and removed his safe containing the only remaining Protomolecule samples in existence.
Fred would leave the station with a crew onboard the Rocinante, and left the command to Camina Drummer.
| “Fires in the dark” — Spoilers for Babylon's Ashes follow.
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Fred Johnson organised a meeting of the Outer Planets Alliance leaders who had not joined the Free Navy at Tycho, however Fred's death before reaching the station forced James Holden to lead the meeting. During the meeting a plan was agreed to where the OPA factions would fight against the Free Navy as part of the Consolidated Fleet Offensive whilst also sending two ships to capture Medina Station.
Under the Transport Union
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Tycho station was eventually moved from its position to Pallas where it was semi-permanently docked with Pallas to form Pallas-Tycho Complex. At this new location Tycho resumed ship building and built three Void cities for the Transport Union. A fourth Void city Assurance of Peace was under construction at the Pallas-Tycho Complex when the Laconian Empire battlecruiser Heart of the Tempest, requested the immediate surrender of the union and of the Earth-Mars Coalition or Pallas Station would be be destroyed. Deeming Tycho to be too vital to the Sol powers' shipbuilding the majority of civilians were evactuated onto Tycho and ships. Tycho Station then detached from Pallas Station and withdrew away from the area at top speed leaving the doomed the station to total decimation by the Tempest's USM field projector.
Media
Trivia
- Tycho may be an allusion to Tycho Brahe a Danish astronomer and nobleman, whose observations helped support Johannes Kepler theory of elliptic motion of the planets, namely the "Three laws"