A ground based subsystem for use in transmitting an optical feeder uplink beam to a satellite that includes a multiple element antenna feed array and that is configured to receive the optical feeder uplink beam and in dependence thereon use the multiple element antenna feed array to produce and transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams (106d, 110d, 114d) to service terminals (STs), the ground based subsystem comprising: a ground based beamformer (GBBF) configured to accept a plurality of spot beam signals, produce or otherwise obtain phase and amplitude beamforming coefficients, and output a plurality of feed element signals in dependence on the plurality of spot beam signals and the phase and amplitude beamforming coefficients; a plurality of lasers, each of the lasers operable to emit an optical signal having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range; a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), each EOM of the plurality of EOMs configured to accept an optical carrier signal from a respective one of the plurality of lasers, accept a different one of the plurality of feed element signals from the GBBF, and output a respective optical feed element signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the feed element signal accepted by the EOM; a wavelength-division multiplexing multiplexer configured to accept the optical feed element signals output by the plurality of EOMs, and combine the plurality of optical feed element signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; an optical amplifier configured to amplify the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and transmitter optics configured to accept the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and transmit an optical feeder uplink beam to the satellite in dependence thereon. a ground based beamformer (GBBF) configured to accept a plurality of spot beam signals, produce or otherwise obtain phase and amplitude beamforming coefficients, and output a plurality of feed element signals in dependence on the plurality of spot beam signals and the phase and amplitude beamforming coefficients; a plurality of lasers, each of the lasers operable to emit an optical signal having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range; a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), each EOM of the plurality of EOMs configured to accept an optical carrier signal from a respective one of the plurality of lasers, accept a different one of the plurality of feed element signals from the GBBF, and output a respective optical feed element signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the feed element signal accepted by the EOM; a wavelength-division multiplexing multiplexer configured to accept the optical feed element signals output by the plurality of EOMs, and combine the plurality of optical feed element signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; an optical amplifier configured to amplify the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and transmitter optics configured to accept the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and transmit an optical feeder uplink beam to the satellite in dependence thereon.