Patent ID: 6830221
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
A spacecraft providing internal and external communications, the spacecraft comprising,glass ceramic components being coupled together for forming a support structure for the spacecraft, one of the glass ceramic components being made of a photostructurable glass ceramic material and, an antenna supported by one of the glass ceramic components for external communications, operational devices supported by the support structure, two of the operational devices are optical devices for communicating an optical signal through one of the glass ceramic components providing an optical path along which is communicated the optical signal, two of the operational devices are electronic devices for communicating an electrical signal through one of the glass ceramic components providing an electrical path along which is communicated the electrical signal, one of the operational devices is coupled to the antenna for enabling external communications, and an optoelectronic communications grid enabling intercommunications of the electrical signal between the two electronic devices along the electrical path and enabling intercommunications of the optical signal along the optical path and between the two optical devices.