US Patent 9166686 Multiple access point laser communications terminal

A laser communications terminal configured for simultaneous two-way stabilized communications links to multiple ground sites. One example of such a laser communications terminal includes a plurality of laser channels, each including a channel transceiver configured to transmit and receive an optical signal, an afocal telescope optically coupled to each of the channel transceivers, a coelostat mirror pair optically coupled to the afocal telescope, and a plurality of beam steering mirrors, at least one beam steering mirror associated with each channel of the plurality of laser channels and configured to independently steer the corresponding optical signal within a field of view of the afocal telescope.