Abstract

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) is the most ambitious optical interferometer project in the world today. First funded in 2000, the project has gained significant momentum in the last few years and is anticipating first light and first fringes in during the next few. We have recently completed the first telescope, and installed several telescope pads outside and the first vacuum delay pipe inside the beam combining facilities. Delivery and initial operation of telescope one and the first delay line trolley is scheduled for later this year. When completed, MROI will include 10 movable telescopes operating over 7.5 to 340m baselines and wavelengths (0.6-2.4 microns) that will allow astronomers to produce sub-milliarcsecond images of a large variety of astrophysical targets. I will present our overall completed design and recent progress, our timeline to first light and first fringes, and the significant technical and scientific milestones anticipated over the next few years as we enter the commissioning phase.