Schedule
The official milestones, as given in the Management Plan, are listed below.
| Kick-Off | 04 June 2004 |
| ESO Council Approval | 23 May 2005 |
| Preliminary Design Review | 11 May 2006 |
| Final Design Review | 24 April 2008 |
| Test Readiness Review | November 2010 |
| Preliminary Acceptance Review in Europe | March 2011 |
| Provisional Acceptance in Chile | September 2011 |