The E-ELT M4, on its way to becoming a reality

Abstract

The final design of the M4 Unit is almost complete. Most of the critical prototypes have been successfully tested and a few are currently under test. The first subsystems are already in manufacturing phase. A detailed description of the design characteristics is provided in this article. A comparison between performance analysis and prototype results is provided for the critical items. The next steps are also described including the detailed test plan of the segment prototype setup.