J.B. Camp, H. Armandula, S. Bell, G. Billingsley, M. Hyrnevych, W. Kells, D. Li, S.E. Whitcomb, R. Weiss

The LIGO project has begun the installation of large optical components in the vacuum systems of its observatories.  This step is the culmination of a five year process which began with the derivation of the optical requirements, using an FFT-based optical propagation code. A program to work with industry to meet these requirements was then undertaken, leading to selection of vendors and fabrication of the optics. Finally, in-house testing was done to ensure performance. This paper summarizes this process.