The invention discloses a common-reference detection and machining method of an off-axis three-mirror aspheric optical system. The method includes: firstly, machining of a main reflecting mirror and a third reflecting mirror are respectively performed until the RMS value of the full-aperture interference detection surface shape of each single reflecting mirror is greater than 1 / 10[Lambda], wherein Lambda refers to the laser interferometer operating wavelength; secondly, according to design parameters, an integrated backboard used for fixing the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror is designed and machined; thirdly, the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror are fixedly arranged on the integrated backboard, common-reference detection of the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror is performed, and the surface shapes of the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror are respectively obtained; fourthly, based on the surface shapes of the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror, which are obtained by common-reference detection, ion beam machining of the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror fixed on the integrated backboard is performed according to the design requirement; and fifthly, common-reference detection of the main reflecting mirror and the third reflecting mirror after ion beam machining is performed until the design requirement is satisfied. According to the method, the complicated assembling and adjusting processes of the off-axis three-mirror aspheric optical system can be avoided.