In certain aspects, catadioptric projection objectives for imaging a
pattern from an object field arranged in an object surface of the
projection objective onto an image field arranged in an image surface of
the projection objective include a first objective part configured to
image the pattern from the object surface into a first intermediate
image, and having a first pupil surface, a second objective part
configured to image the first intermediate image into a second
intermediate image, and having a second pupil surface optically conjugate
to the first pupil surface, and a third objective part configured to
image the second intermediate image into the image surface, and having a
third pupil surface optically conjugate to the first and second pupil
surface. A pupil mirror having a reflective pupil mirror surface is
positioned at or close to one of the first, second and third pupil
surface. A pupil mirror manipulator operatively connected to the pupil
mirror and configured to vary the shape of the reflective surface of the
pupil mirror allows for dynamically correcting imaging aberrations
originating from lens heating, compaction and other radiation induced
imaging aberrations occurring during operation of the projection
objective.