A key milestone for the Gemini High-resolution Optical Spectrograph (GHOS) is now complete with final approval of the post-conceptual-design contracts by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Gemini Board, and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). The instrument, which will provide Gemini users with the power of high-resolution optical spectroscopy, will now proceed with a team kick-off meeting comprised of representatives from Gemini, the Australian Astronomical Observatory, National Research Council of Canada-Herzberg, and Australian National University. The project should take about four years to complete.