[El Gato]

The thermal lensing aka blooming problem is likely a tractable problem using adaptive optics.

Now it is, but not during the Regan era, when all this was first proposed (well not first, but more visibly). Of course the combination of adpative optics and high power is still problematic, but that won't always be the case I'm sure.

[AdamSelene235]

Of course the combination of adpative optics and high power is still problematic, but that won't always be the case I'm sure.

Laser Guidestars paved the way.....Course, thats just natural refractive turbulence, not multiple klicks of actively heated air.