Phase II

  Phase II aims at interferometric operation between pairs of telescopes along the shortest baselines, with highly focused science on specific targets, proving the astronomical value of the whole project.

Phase II will therefore require some crucial technological demonstrators such as:

• Coherent light transport through fibers from telescope to laboratory (through approximately 300 meters of fibers).
• Some type of delay lines, possibly of a simple type and limited range to begin with (although making delay lines is no longer a problem as some are or are going to be operational in a large number of highly performant interferometers).
• Installation of beam combination, detection and control (this has already been achieved with FLUOR/IOTA).
• Test on the sky, validation of performances and demonstration of significant science on a few objects.

Up to and including Phase II, the project is experimental in nature, and will mostly rely on the expertise and support of the interferometry group at DESPA (Observatoire de Paris).