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ASTRI SST-2M is an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope developed by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) project as an end-to-end prototype for the Small Size array. Large-, medium-, and small-sized telescopes will compose the CTA observatory that represents the next generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes and will explore the very high-energy domain from a few tens of GeV up to few hundreds of TeV. The ASTRI SST-2M telescope has been installed at the INAF-Catania observing station at Serra La Nave, on Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy) in September 2014. In these 3 years of open-air operations the telescope has been commissioned and its opto-mechanical performance is now well understood. The apparatus was made ready to host its main scientific instrument, the camera with Silicon-Photomultiplier based detectors. This contribution is a status report on the complete ASTRI SST-2M telescope assembly including the electro-mechanical structure and the optical system.

ASTRI SST-2M is an end-to-end telescope prototype developed by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The CTA observatory, with a combination of large-, medium-, and small-sized telescopes (LST, MST and SST, respectively), will represent the next generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. It will explore the very high-energy domain from a few tens of GeV up to few hundreds of TeV. The ASTRI SST-2M telescope structure and mirrors have been installed at the INAF observing station at Serra La Nave, on Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy) in September 2014. Its performance verification phase began in autumn 2015. Part of the scheduled activities foresees the study and characterization of the optical and opto-mechanical performance of the telescope prototype. In this contribution we report the results achieved in terms of kinematic model analysis, mirrors reflectivity evolution, telescopes positioning, flexures and pointing model and the thermal behavior.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory, with a combination of large-, medium-, and small-size telescopes (LST, MST and SST, respectively), will represent the next generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. It will explore the very high-energy domain from a few tens of GeV up to few hundreds of TeV with unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution and imaging resolution. In this framework, the Italian ASTRI program, led by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), is currently developing a scientific and technological SST dual-mirror end-to-end prototype named ASTRI SST-2M. It is a 4-meter class telescope; it adopts an aplanatic, wide-field, double-reflection optical layout in a Schwarzschild-Couder configuration. The ASTRI SST-2M telescope structure and mirrors have been already installed at the INAF observing station at Serra La Nave, on Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy). In this contribution we report about the on-site deployment and the latest results on the opto-mechanical performance test conducted soon after the telescope installation

ASTRI SST-2M is a prototype dual mirror Small Size class of Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Its innovative design based on a Schwarzschild-Couder configuration will permit use Silicon Photo-multipliers as focalplane detectors. The dual mirror configuration is a challenge for the realization of both the primary and secondary. Accurate tests and characterization are mandatory to understand the behavior of the optical configuration, its limits and the possibility of improvements of the full CTA array. Moreover, optical alignment requires solutions and procedures that have not been used so far on Cherenkov telescopes. The aim of paper is to provide an analysis of these topics in the context of the ASTRI SST-2M telescope.

The next generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes will require the production of thousands of mirror segments; an unprecedented amount of optical surface. To accomplish this, the Italian Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica (INAF) has recently developed a successful technique. This method, called glass cold-shaping, is mainly intended for the manufacturing of mirrors for optical systems with an angular resolution of a few arcminutes, intended to operate in extreme environments. Its principal mechanical features are very low weight and high rigidity of the resulting segments, and its cost and production time turn out to be very competitive as well. The process is based on the shaping of thin glass foils by means of forced bending at room temperature; a sandwich structure is then assembled for retaining the imposed shape. These mirrors are composted of commercial, off-the-shelf materials. In this contribution we give an overview of the latest results achieved in the manufacturing of the pre-production series of mirrors for the Medium Size and Small Size Telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array observatory.

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory will represent the next generation of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. Using a combination of large-, medium-, and small-scale telescopes (LST, MST, SST, respectively), it will explore the Very High Energy domain from a few tens of GeV up to few hundreds of TeV with unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution and imaging quality. In this framework, the Italian ASTRI program, led by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF), is currently developing a scientific and technological SST prototype named ASTRI SST-2M; a 4-meter class telescope, it will adopt an aplanatic, wide-field, double-reflection optical layout in a Schwarzschild-Couder configuration. In this contribution we give an overview of the technological solutions adopted for the ASTRI SST-2M prototype. In particular we focus on the manufacturing of the telescope structure and mirrors. We will also describe early results from tests.