Photostructurable Glass Ceramic Satellites

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.