Method and system for microlens-array-based steerable optical transceiver

A method of performing inter-satellite communications, the method comprising:

• generating a laser signal at a first satellite;
• transmitting the laser signal to a photonic integrated circuit (PIC);
• generating a plurality of spatially coherent laser beams;
• coupling each of the plurality of spatially coherent laser beams into an optical fiber of a plurality of first optical fibers;
• forming a plurality of mutually coherent laser beams;
• forming a spatially coherent laser beam using the plurality of mutually coherent laser beams;
• transmitting the spatially coherent laser beam to a second satellite;
• receiving the spatially coherent laser beam at the second satellite;
• coupling the spatially coherent laser beam into a plurality of second optical fibers;
• combining light output from the plurality of second optical fibers;
• forming a received laser signal;
• and
• transmitting the received laser signal to a detector.