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Applications · Space · To reach big space, think small glass

Space-grade fused-silica parts, machined to ±1 µm. Optics, fluidics and packaging in one monolithic glass part, for satellites, telescopes and deep-space missions. Swiss-made, ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified.

Get a free feasibility review Explore space applications
  • ±1 µm tolerances
  • −150 / +150 °C
  • ISO 9001 · ISO 13485
  • Swiss-made since 2013

Research partners include ETH Zürich, EPFL, CERN, CEA-LETI and the University of Geneva (UniGE).

Stop 01 · Low Earth orbit · 400–1,200 km (250–750 mi)

Earth observationOptical payloads

Earth-observation payloads image the planet from a few hundred kilometres up and must hold focus through tens of thousands of orbits and constant thermal swings. We make the glass around the detector in fused silica: microlens arrays, fiber-coupled optics and athermal mounts, plus all-glass microfluidic chips for in-orbit research on the ISS and CubeSats.

Glass inside

Discuss your EO payload optics with an engineer

Stop 02 · LEO & MEO constellations · 1,200–20,200 km (750–12,550 mi)

Satellite networksOptical, RF & timing

Broadband constellations fly in low Earth orbit, navigation constellations such as GPS and Galileo in medium Earth orbit. Glass interposers with through-glass vias and glass RF substrates carry low-loss signals for laser cross-link PICs and phased-array antennas, with no wire bonds or adhesives. For onboard timing, we machine glass vapor cells for chip-scale atomic clocks.

Glass inside

Discuss your link or timing design

Stop 03 · Geostationary orbit · 35,786 km (22,236 mi)

Laser terminalsSatellite telecom

GEO relay satellites use laser terminals to collect data from Earth-observation satellites and send it to the ground in near real time, as Europe's EDRS data relay does. Those links depend on the fiber-to-optics interface: our fiber ferrules, microlenses and 3D waveguides deliver low insertion loss and a near-perfect thermal match to fused-silica fiber arrays, for inter-orbit links and optical feeder links.

Glass inside

Discuss your laser-terminal optics

Stop 04 · The Moon · 384,400 km (238,900 mi)

Lunar explorationLanders, rovers & relays

Artemis-era landers, rovers and lunar relay satellites face abrasive, electrostatically charged regolith dust and a two-week lunar night colder than −173 °C (−280 °F). Monolithic glass parts have no seams for dust to enter and no adhesives to crack: optics for navigation cameras and lidar, terminals for lunar laser links, and microfluidic chips for in-situ resource analysis.

Glass inside

Discuss your lunar payload

Stop 05 · Sun–Earth L2 · 1.5 million km (930,000 mi)

Telescopes &Space instrumentation

Diffraction-limited optics need structures that do not move. Monolithic glass integration cuts mass and improves vibration resistance for spectrometers, interferometers and laser-based diagnostics, while near-zero thermal expansion keeps alignment stable on low-CTE optical benches, from ground integration to operation at L2.

Glass inside

Discuss your instrument optics

Stop 06 · Deep space · >225 M km (>140 M mi)

Planetary missionsSpace science

From ion traps and vapor cells for quantum sensing and deep-space atomic clocks to all-glass microfluidic chips for life-detection experiments: payloads where precision, chemical inertness, a low organic background for planetary protection and resilience to extreme environments are non-negotiable.

Glass inside

Discuss your science payload

Six stops · one material

Every stop runs onfused silica.

Same glass, same process, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and the outer planets. Here is what we build with it.

Get a feasibility review

The environment

Built for theharshest place we ship to

Space combines intense radiation, hard vacuum, thermal cycling from −150 °C to +150 °C (−238 to +302 °F) and constant pressure to cut size, weight and power (SWaP). Every interface in a payload is a place where alignment can drift or a part can fail.

FEMTOPRINT's femtosecond laser glass microfabrication builds 3D microdevices as single pieces of radiation-hard fused silica or low-CTE glass. Waveguides, microlenses, channels and mechanical features are written into one hermetic, vacuum-compatible substrate, so there are fewer parts to align, bond and qualify.

The result is space-grade glass components for satellite payloads, telescope subsystems and deep-space instruments, developed and manufactured in Switzerland.

±1 µmTolerances on 3D glass features
−150 / +150 °CThermal cycling range (−238 / +302 °F)
≈0 CTEFused silica & low-CTE glasses
ISO 9001 · 13485Certified processes, in-house metrology

Products

Space-grade glass componentswe manufacture

Six product families, one process. Each can be combined with the others in a single monolithic part.

Precision mechanics

3D laser-machined glass structures with complex internal geometries, high-aspect-ratio features and tolerances down to one micron. For opto-mechanical mounts, alignment fixtures and vibration-damped assemblies.

Used in telescopes · instrumentation · ion traps
Request a quote for glass mechanics

Fiber ferrules, microlenses & waveguides

Monolithic fiber-to-chip coupling, free-form microlenses and 3D curved waveguides written directly in glass. Low-loss optical interconnects for telescopes and laser communication terminals.

Used in laser terminals · telescopes · sensing
Request a quote for ferrules & optics

Glass packaging for electronics

Hermetic, radiation-hard glass packages that protect detectors, ASICs and photonic chips while staying thermally and mechanically stable through launch loads and orbital conditions.

Used in detectors · PICs · payload electronics
Request a quote for glass packaging

PCBs & RF antennas

Glass-based RF substrates and antennas with embedded waveguides and low dielectric loss. High-frequency performance without metallic corrosion, for satellite telecom and phased arrays.

Used in phased arrays · RF links · telecom payloads
Request a quote for RF substrates

Interposers & 3D electrodes

High-density 3D glass interposers and through-glass vias (TGVs) for advanced packaging. Heterogeneous integration of optical, electrical and fluidic functions in a single chip.

Used in optical/RF connectivity · quantum sensing
Request a quote for interposers & TGVs

Microfluidic chips

All-glass microfluidic devices with integrated channels, valves and optical windows for propellant management, cooling loops, biological sample handling and chemical propulsion in small satellites.

Used in life detection · propulsion · thermal control
Request a quote for microfluidic chips

Have a drawing or a spec sheet?

Send it with your key requirements. An engineer checks manufacturability in glass, flags critical tolerances and suggests design changes, before any call. STEP, DXF or PDF.

Send your drawing for review Email it instead
● Drag to rotate · illustrative render

One part, no interfaces

Ferrule and lens,one piece of glass

A fiber array, its alignment holes and the collimating microlenses machined from the same fused-silica block. No adhesive line to outgas, no bond to drift during thermal cycling, no second part to align.

  • MaterialFused silica · low-CTE glasses
  • Feature tolerancedown to ±1 µm
  • Geometrytrue 3D, internal & high-aspect-ratio
  • Processfs-laser writing + selective etching
  • Scale-upwafer-level series production
Request a ferrule prototype quote Discuss your fiber interface

Why FEMTOPRINT

Why space programschoose 3D glass microfabrication

01

Radiation hardness

Fused silica and selected low-CTE glasses resist total ionizing dose and displacement damage better than polymers or metals.

02

Thermal & mechanical stability

A near-zero coefficient of thermal expansion keeps optical alignment intact across extreme temperature swings.

03

Monolithic 3D integration

Fewer interfaces, adhesives and fasteners means higher reliability and a direct cut in size, weight and power.

04

Vacuum compatibility & low outgassing

Fused silica contains no polymers to outgas, and monolithic parts remove the adhesive bond lines that usually do.

05

Rapid prototyping to qualification

First functional prototypes in weeks, then documented ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485 processes and full in-house metrology to support your qualification campaign.

06

Scalability

Wafer-level processing makes the move from engineering models to flight series production cost-effective.

How we work

From first sketchto flight series

CTOs and R&D leads at satellite OEMs, space agencies and prime contractors work with us as a full CDMO.

01

Contract development

Design-for-manufacturing review of your optical, fluidic or mechanical concept in glass.

02

Rapid prototyping

First functional glass parts in weeks, measured with in-house metrology.

03

Qualification support

Documented, certified processes to support your environmental test campaign.

04

Contract manufacturing

Wafer-level series production for engineering, qualification and flight models.

Start with a feasibility review

Step 01 begins with your drawing or spec sheet.

Feasibility review · quote · technical call

Talk to aFEMTOPRINT space engineer

For satellite OEMs, primes, space agencies, NewSpace teams and payload research groups. Tell us about your part and an engineer replies within 2 business days with a first feasibility assessment or a call slot.

  1. You send the request with your application and a few lines on the part. Drawings are welcome, under NDA if needed.
  2. An engineer reviews it and checks feasibility in fused silica or low-CTE glass.
  3. You get a clear answer: design-for-manufacturing feedback, a prototype plan and a quote, by email or on a call.
  • ISO 9001:2015
  • ISO 13485
  • Swiss-made
  • CDMO since 2013
  • NDA on request

Research partners include ETH Zürich, EPFL, CERN, CEA-LETI and the University of Geneva (UniGE).

Prefer to write directly? info@femtoprint.ch · +41 91 960 10 70

Step 1 of 2: your project

Tell us about your part

Two quick choices, then your contact details. Under 30 seconds.

What do you need? *

Application *

FAQ

Glass for space,common questions

What makes a glass component space-grade?

A space-grade glass component has to survive radiation, vacuum and thermal cycling from −150 °C to +150 °C (−238 °F to +302 °F) without losing alignment or contaminating the payload. Fused silica and selected low-CTE glasses resist total ionizing dose and displacement damage better than polymers or metals, have near-zero thermal expansion, are hermetic and meet outgassing requirements without additional coatings.

Which space applications do FEMTOPRINT glass components support?

Earth-observation optics in low Earth orbit, optical and RF connectivity and atomic-clock vapor cells for LEO and MEO constellations, laser terminals for geostationary relays, optics and microfluidics for lunar landers, rovers and relays, telescopes and space instrumentation at Sun–Earth L2, and deep-space science payloads such as ion traps, vapor cells and microfluidic life-detection experiments.

What tolerances can FEMTOPRINT achieve on glass parts for space?

We machine complex 3D glass structures with tolerances down to ±1 µm, sub-micron accuracy on critical features, high-aspect-ratio channels and internal geometries that cannot be produced by grinding, polishing or lithography alone.

How does monolithic glass integration reduce SWaP?

Optical, fluidic, mechanical and electrical functions are combined in a single piece of glass. Removing adhesives, fasteners and assembly interfaces lowers mass and volume and removes the points where alignment drifts or parts fail during launch and in orbit.

Can FEMTOPRINT take a space component from prototype to flight hardware?

Yes. We work as a CDMO: design-for-manufacturing support, rapid prototyping in weeks, ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485 certified processes with in-house metrology, and wafer-level processing for the transition from engineering models to flight series production.

What is femtosecond laser glass microfabrication?

An ultrafast femtosecond laser locally modifies the inside of a glass substrate along a 3D path. The modified volume is then removed by selective chemical etching. The process is maskless and produces true 3D monolithic parts, including channels, holes, lenses and waveguides written directly in the glass.

What should I prepare for the technical call?

The application and environment (radiation, thermal range, vacuum), the critical dimensions and tolerances, the material if already chosen, quantities for prototypes and flight models, and your timeline. A drawing in STEP, DXF or PDF helps the engineer assess feasibility before the call.

How do I start a space project with FEMTOPRINT?

Send a short description of your component and requirements to info@femtoprint.ch, or use the request form on this page. One of our engineers reviews feasibility and design for manufacturing, replies within 2 business days and proposes a prototyping plan.