Abstract

This paper discusses the technology involved in automatically shaping the surfaces of primary telescope mirrors up to 4 m in diameter and with asphericity up to 1000 ?m. It describes methods for monitoring the automatic grinding of surfaces by IR interferometry, automatic polishing and finishing of surfaces with wave-front correctors, and a method of simultaneously monitoring various designs of correctors to achieve and confirm the required parameters of an aspheric with the same surface. A description is given of the features of the fabricated auxiliary equipment (membrane-pneumatic actuator for unloading the mirror, load-bearing equipment, containers, and devices for cementing interface elements).

© 2013 Optical Society of America

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