Automatic repeat request network transport system for turbulent free-space optical communications links

A free-space optical (FSO) retransmission device includes a memory bank partitioned into at least a source buffer indexed by segment identifications (IDs), an interface in communication with an optical terminal and an Ethernet network, and a programmable circuit configured to execute data process operations. The data process operations include receiving data from the Ethernet network, generating an FSO segment including the data received from the Ethernet network and a segment ID, generating and transmitting an outgoing FSO frame to the optical terminal, the outgoing FSO frame including an outgoing FSO segment, and storing the outgoing FSO segment in the source buffer until a corresponding acknowledgement is received in an inbound FSO frame from the optical terminal.