Free space duplexed optical communication with transmitter end multiplexing and receiver end amplification

A free space optical communication network comprising:

• a plurality of terminals, each of which includes
• a telescope having an equipment end and a free-space end that is adapted to carry free-space, wavelength duplexed, communication, which telescope is positioned to point to a telescope of another one of said terminals;
• an optical splitter having a first port connected said equipment end of said telescope;
• an optical transmitter for generating an optical signal composed of signals developed by modulating each of at least one laser source having a first wavelength with an associated information-bearing input signal, said signal being coupled to a second port of said optical splitter;
• and
• an optical receiver coupled to a third port of said optical splitter having an optical-to-electrical converter and an optical amplifier coupled between said optical splitter and the optical-to-electrical converter.

A method executed in a terminal that is adapted to operate as a transmitter and a receiver, for communicating with light traversing free space comprising the steps of:

• accepting an information bearing optical signal at an optical amplifier;
• passing the accepted signal from a first port of a coupler to a second port of the coupler;
• passing a signal outputted by said second port to a telescope, to be outputted by the telescope into free space;
• receiving a signal from free space by said telescope and passing the received signal to said second port of said coupler to be passes to a third port of the coupler;
• and
• passing a signal outputted by said third port to an optical to electrical converter.