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 μm. 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 (membranepneumatic actuator for unloading the mirror, load-bearing equipment, containers, and devices for cementing interface elements).• Energy concentration 80% on the axis of the system of two mirrors in a circle of confusion with diameter 0.15 00 after 207

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INTRODUCTINIn the performance of tasks of the high-resolving optical systems manufacturing, the significant funds are required. This fact can be a reason limiting further development of astronomical research. The aim of this paper is demonstration of the ways to reduce the fabrication cost ofastronomical instrument mirrors. CHOICE OF MIRROR MANUFACTURE MATERIALThe following requirements to large-size mirrors, which are conditioned by tight tolerances (in the order of O.Oltm) to meet the designed shape of a mirror surface and to keep this shape in time, are stated -high weather resistance (combination of physical properties, which ensures small mechanical and temperature deformations); -dimensional and properties stability in time; -high quality ofthe polished surface ensuring quite good reflectivity of a mirror coating; -small density.

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This paper discusses the automatic shaping technology for the convex hyperbolic surfaces of the secondary mirrors of telescopes with asphericity to 400 μm, 1 m or more in diameter. It describes a method of testing a convex mirror with an auxiliary Hindle sphere and of optimizing this method by using two Hindle spheres of smaller diameter for one item instead of one sphere of greater diameter. A method is proposed of joining the topographical maps obtained from the results of testing the surface of a hyperboloid with two spheres. The features of fabricated auxiliary equipment (load-bearing fixtures, containers, devices for cementing interface elements) are presented.