Westbound for Tucson August 30, 2006

The completed mirror blank waited in storage in Pittsburgh, PA, while we finalized a contract for the figuring and polishing. This was evenutally awarded to the University of Arizona. After a five-day and nearly 2,500-mile cross country wide-load trip from the Pittsburgh storage facility to Tucson, AZ, the DCT primary mirror blank arrived at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences facility on August 30, 2006 for final figuring and polishing. A Discovery Channel film crew was on hand to film the final leg of transport and delivery of the DCT mirror blank at U of A as part of its high-def documentary production, “The Making of the Discovery Channel Telescope.”

Photograph: Discovery Communications, Inc.

THE SITE

Images from the DCT Site

THE PRIMARY MIRROR (M1)

Primary Mirror Cleaning and Coating

Primary Mirror Delivered to Happy Jack

Primary Mirror Figuring

Univ of Ariz Optical Facility

From Pittsburgh to Tucson

Making the Mirror Blank

THE SECONDARY MIRROR (M2)

Secondary Mirror Figuring

M2 Lightweighting - Round 2

Lightweighting the M2 Blank

THE MOUNT

Mount Completion, Summer/Fall 2010

M2 Top End Installation, Spring 2010

M1 Cell Installation, Spring 2010

Elevation Ring Installation, Spring 2010

Mount Yoke Installation, Spring 2010

Mount Pedestal Installation, Spring 2010

Mount Trial Assembly, Winter 2010

Mirror Supports Assembly, Winter 2010

Mount Components Arrive, Winter 2009

Mount Trial Assembly, Fall 2009

Mount Fabrication, Fall 2009

Mount Fabrication, Summer 2009

Mount Fabrication, Spring 2009

Mount Renderings

THE DOME

Final Touches, Summer/Fall 2009

More Progress, Summer 2009

Panels and Doors, Spring/Summer 2009

Installing Dome Shutter, Spring 2009

Installing Bridge Crane, Spring 2009

Secondary Steel Goes In, Spring 2009

Dome Arch Girders, Spring 2009

Dome Steel Erection, Spring 2009

Dome Mechanisms, Winter 2009

Dome Construction Prep Work, 2008

THE FACILITY

Final Touches, Summer 2007

Completing the Interior, Spring 2007

Putting up Walls, Summer 2006

Working on the Interior, Fall 2006

Finishing Phase 1, Spring 2006

Buildings Take Shape, Winter 2006

Laying the Foundations, Fall 2005

Excavation, Fall 2005

Groundbreaking, July 2005

Site Prep Work, Spring 2005

OPTICAL COATING SYSTEM (OCS)

OCS Delivery & Installation

OCS Fabrication

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