Integrated glass ceramic spacecraft include a plurality of glass ceramic
components including molded, tempered, annealed, and patterned glass
ceramic components coupled together for forming a support structure or
frame or housing through which is communicated optical signals through an
optical communications grid and electrical signals through an electrical
communications grid, with the optical communications grid and electrical
communication grid forming a composite electrooptical communications grid
for spacecraft wide intercommunications. The support structure
multifunctions as a frame, a housing, a support, a thermal control system,
and as part of an electrooptical communications grid while encapsulating a
plurality of optical, electronic, electrical, and MEMS devices between
which is communicated the electrical and optical signals over the
electrooptical communication grid.
In a preferred form, the integrated glass ceramic spacecraft providing
internal and external communications, includes a plurality of patterned
glass ceramic substrates stacked together to form the spacecraft support
structure, with each substrate having a primary function such as
thrusting, optical communications, battery power storage, propellant
storage, sensing, and central processing.
