  Dynamic laser inter-satellite links (LISLs) provide the flexibility of
connecting a pair of satellites as required (dynamically) while static LISLs
need to be active continuously between the energy-constrained satellites.
However, due to the LISL establishment time (termed herein as LISL setup delay)
being in the order of seconds, realizing dynamic LISLs is currently unfeasible.
Towards the realization of dynamic LISLs, we first study the quantification of
LISL setup delay; then we calculate the end-to-end latency of a free-space
optical satellite network (FSOSN) with the LISL setup delay; subsequently, we
analyze the impact of LISL setup delay on the end-to-end latency of the FSOSN.
We also provide design guidelines for the laser communication terminal
manufacturers in the form of maximum tolerable value of LISL setup delay for
which the FSOSN based on Starlink's Phase I satellite constellation will be
meaningful to use for low-latency long-distance inter-continental data
communications.
