The telescope is unique because it will use seven mirror sections, each in diameter. These segments will then be arranged to form a single optical surface. This is difficult as the surface of the outer six mirror segments is not radially symmetrical (that is, they are off-axis). This requires a small change in the way mirrors are usually polished. All seven mirrors will be arranged so that the reflecting surface of each of them is on a common axis. One mirror will be in the center and the other six arranged symmetrically around the center. A focal plane will be on-axis with the entire assembly. The plan is to build seven identical off-axis mirrors. The spare mirror has been made to replace a mirror when it needs recoating, a 1–2 week (per segment) process required every 1–2 years.
ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY t ɛ l ɪ s k oʊ p WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY j uː n iː k WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ k ʌ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY j uː z WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ v ə n WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ k ʃ ə n z WORD_BOUNDARY iː t̠ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY d aɪ æ m ɪ t ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ð iː z WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ ɡ m ə n t s WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɛ n WORD_BOUNDARY b iː WORD_BOUNDARY ə ɹ ɹ eɪ n d̠ʒ d WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY f ɔ ɹ m WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ ŋ ɡ ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ p t ɪ k ə l WORD_BOUNDARY s ɜː f ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY d ɪ f ɪ k ə l t WORD_BOUNDARY æ z WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s ɜː f ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ɪ WORD_BOUNDARY aʊ t ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ k s WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ ɡ m ə n t s WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY n ɑ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ eɪ d ɪ ə l i WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ m ɛ t ɹ ɪ k ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ð æ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY ð eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ f æ k s ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ k w aɪ ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY s m ɔ l WORD_BOUNDARY t̠ʃ eɪ n d̠ʒ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY w eɪ WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY j uː ʒ uː ə l i WORD_BOUNDARY p ɑ l ɪ ʃ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ l WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ v ə n WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY b iː WORD_BOUNDARY ə ɹ ɹ eɪ n d̠ʒ d WORD_BOUNDARY s oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY ð æ t ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ f l ɛ k t ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɜː f ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY iː t̠ʃ WORD_BOUNDARY ə v WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɛ m WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY k ɑ m ə n WORD_BOUNDARY æ k s ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY b iː WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ n t ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ ð ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ k s WORD_BOUNDARY ə ɹ ɹ eɪ n d̠ʒ d WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ m ɛ t ɹ ɪ k l i WORD_BOUNDARY ə ɹ ɹ aʊ n d WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ n t ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY f oʊ k ə l WORD_BOUNDARY p l eɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ l WORD_BOUNDARY b iː WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ n æ k s ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ ð ð ɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɛ n t aɪ ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ s ɛ m b l i WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY p l æ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ l d WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ v ə n WORD_BOUNDARY aɪ d ɛ n t ɪ k ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ f æ k s ɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s p ɛ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY h æ z b iː n WORD_BOUNDARY m eɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ p l eɪ s WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY m ɪ ɹ ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY w ɛ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY n iː d z WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ k oʊ t ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY t uː WORD_BOUNDARY w iː k WORD_BOUNDARY p ɜː WORD_BOUNDARY s ɛ ɡ m ə n t WORD_BOUNDARY p ɹ ɑ s ɛ s WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ ɪ k w aɪ ə ɹ d WORD_BOUNDARY ɛ v ɹ i WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY t uː WORD_BOUNDARY j ɪ ɹ z WORD_BOUNDARY