ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews approaches and configurations for crosslinks and optical networking. Satellite networks connected via laser communications have been the topic of theoretical curiosity for decades but are now (in the 2020 time frame) becoming a reality for connecting hundreds to thousands of Earth-orbiting satellites together via lasers. Topics covered include orbital geometry and network physical topology of satellite constellations, optical networking techniques, single-hop optical networking, multi-hop optical networking, optical networking technologies, inter-satellite links, light-path routers, switches, crosstalk/noise, and interoperability.
