Normally moderate or large aperture telescopes are designed and constructed on a custom, limitednumber basis. This fact alone makes acquisition of the optics a long term project. Telescopes have been produced in volume in the past but only in relatively small apertures. Recent developments with robotic telescopes has stimulated interest in the possibility of a Global Network of Automatic Telescopes (GNAT). Although large volume production of most of the elements of this technology is possible, production problems of conventional two-mirror optical designs in the 1-meter class would greatly handicap such a venture. To meet both the needs of high-volume production and overall optical performance, a new fourmirror optical design is required.

Date Published: 1 July 1990
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 1236, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV, (1 July 1990); doi: 10.1117/12.19186

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1236:
Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV
Lawrence D. Barr, Editor(s)