Free space optical communication terminal with actuator system and optical relay system

A local free space optical (FSO) communication terminal configured to transmit optical beams to and receive optical beams from a remote FSO communication terminal, the local FSO communication terminal comprising:

• a Rx fiber configured to receive a receive (Rx) optical beam;
• a Tx fiber that provides a transmit (Tx) optical beam;
• an optical module that receives the Rx optical beam from the remote FSO communication terminal and couples the Rx optical beam into the Rx fiber, and that receives the Tx optical beam from the Tx fiber and transmits the Tx optical beam to the remote FSO communication terminal, the optical module comprising:
• a fore optic having a focal plane, wherein the Rx optical beam is received and focused by the fore optic to a Rx spot on the focal plane and the Tx optical beam forms a Tx spot at the focal plane and is collimated and projected by the fore optic to the remote FSO communication terminal, wherein the Rx spot and Tx spot are laterally separated at the focal plane;
• an optical relay system that optically relays between (a) at least one of the Rx spot or the Tx spot and (b) a conjugate spot, to produce an axial separation of an end of the Rx fiber and an end of the Tx fiber;
• and
• an actuator system configured to adjust a lateral separation of the ends of the Rx and Tx fibers to account for point ahead of the local FSO communication terminal.