Large aperture cool telescope mission: SPICA

SPICA (SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics) is a future infrared astronomy mission which is now under study in Japan. Larger aperture (~ 3.5m) infrared telescope will be launched into L2 halo orbit at ambient temperature, and will be cooled in orbit by mechanical cooler down to 4.5K. SPICA is powerful in mid and far infrared observations and will delineate the birth and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems which will play a complementary role to NGST and Hershell.