SPICA (Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics) is an astronomical mission optimized for midand far-infrared astronomy with a cryogenically cooled 3.5m telescope. Its high spatial resolution and unprecedented sensitivity in the mid- and far-infrared will enable us to address a number of key problems in present-day astronomy, ranging from the star-formation history of the universe to the formation of planets.
To reduce the mass of the whole mission, SPICA will be launched at ambient temperature and cooled down on orbit by mechanical coolers on board with an efficient radiative cooling system, a combination of which allows us to have a 3.5m class cooled (5K) telescope in space with moderate total weight.
The three instruments currently baselined for SPICA are:
- a mid-infrared (MIR) coronagraph (~3.5 to ~27 μm) with photometric and spectral capabilities (R~200)
- a MIR wide-field camera and high resolution spectrometer (R~30,000)
- and a far-infrared (FIR ~30 to ~210 μm) imaging spectrometer (SAFARI)
SPICA is proposed as a Japanese-led JAXA-ESA mission together with extensive international collaboration including Canada, USA and South Korea. The assessment study on the European contribution to the SPICA project has started under the framework of the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025.
As of 2012 the proposed launch date for SPICA is 2022.
Please send any comments or questions to naylor(at)uleth.ca