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International Mission


SPICA is a space mission based on international collaboration with participation from institutions in Japan, European countries, Canada and the US (under consideration). The SPICA team has been working closely together for a targeted launch in 2027-2028. The present goal for the Japanese team is to be accepted as an ISAS/JAXA Strategic Mission for space science, while that of the European counterpart is to win through in the process of the ESA Cosmic Vision M-class (M5) selection.

The current workshare plan between the international teams is shown below: Japan is mainly responsible for the payload module, cryocooler, and the mid-infrared instrument SMI. The cryocooler is the outcome of the Japanese cutting-edge cryogenic technology. The launcher for SPICA is planned to be the H3 Launch Vehicle, the next flagship rocket of JAXA. The European team has responsibility mainly for the service module and the telescope, the SAFARI Consortium for the far-infrared instrument SAFARI.

SPICA_WSplan

Fig. 1   The current workshare plan between the international teams (as of Nov. 2015)


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ESA's SPICA Science Study Team (SST)

Science study team (SST) is established in 2018 led by ESA, and it is a time-limited team until ESA M5 final selection in 2021.


  • 1st SST F2F meeting : October 5, 2018 at ESTEC ( The Netherlands )
  • 2nd SST F2F meeting : January 16-17, 2019 at ISAS ( Japan )
  • 3rd SST F2F meeting : June 5-6, 2019 at ESTEC ( The Netherlands )
  • 4th SST F2F meeting : October 2-3, 2019 at ESTEC ( The Netherlands )
  • 5th SST F2F meeting : January 8-9, 2020 at JAXA ( Japan )
  • 6th SST meeting : May 25-26, 2020 ( Remote Meeting )

    Name Affiliation
    David Elbaz CEA, Saclay
    Matt Griffin Cardiff University
    Mitsuhiko Honda Kurume University
    Inga Kamp University of Groningen
    Hidehiro Kaneda Nagoya University
    Kotaro Kohno The University of Tokyo
    Jesus Martin-Pintado INTA-CSIC
    Tohru Nagao Ehime University
    Hideko Nomura Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Peter Roelfsema (Chair) SRON
    Luigi Spinoglio INAF


    Study Scientists from ESA/JAXA
    Takashi Onaka (Study Scientist) The University of Tokyo
    Jan Tauber (Study Scientist) ESA


    Observer from B-BOP Team
    Marc Sauvage (Observer) CEA, Saclay


    Japan Domestic Organization

    Japan Domestic Development Organization (as of August 2020)

    Principal Investigator (PI) Hiroshi Shibai (Osaka University)
    Deputy Principal Investigator (DPI) Hidehiro Kaneda (Nagoya University)
    Project Scientist (PS) Takashi Onaka (The University of Tokyo)
    Deputy Project Scientist (DPS) Toru Yamada (JAXA)
    Kotaro Kohno (The University of Tokyo)
    Project Engineer (PE) Hiroyuki Ogawa (JAXA)
    Team Leader Issei Yamamura (JAXA)
    SPICA-J Study Manager Hideo Matsuhara (JAXA)
    Payload Module Manager Takao Nakagawa (JAXA)
    Ground Segment/Science Operation Manager Issei Yamamura (JAXA)
    SMI Principal Investigator (PI) Hidehiro Kaneda (Nagoya University)
    SMI Project Engineer (PE) Takehiko Wada (JAXA)
    Japan Domestic Partners Nagoya University
    Osaka University
    The University of Tokyo
    Tohoku University
    Kyoto University
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(NAOJ)
    Saitama University
    Hiroshima University
    Ehime University
    Tokushima University
    SPICA International Science Advisory Board Detail
    SPICA Science Task Force Detail
    SPICA Research Promotion Committee Detail
    SPICA Instrumentation Advisory Board Detail

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SPICA International Science Advisory Board


SPICA International Science Advisory Board (ISAB) is operated as a council of scientific advisors to the director of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS).


  • 1st ISAB. May 9 - 10, 2016, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2nd ISAB. July 15, 2016, Paris, France

Name Affiliation
Yuri Aikawa Tsukuba University
Phillip Andre CEA, Saclay
Michael Barlow University College London
Andrew Blein University of Leicester
Ewine van Dishoeck Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden
David Elbaz (Chair) CEA, Saclay
Reinhard Genzel Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics,
University California Barkeley
George Helou Infrared Processing and Analysis Center,
California Institute of Technology
Roberto Maiolino Cavendish Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Cosmology,
University of Cambridge
Margaret Meixner Space Telescope Science Institute
Tsutomu Takeuchi Nagoya University


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SPICA Instrumentation Advisory Board

SPICA Instrumentation Advisory Board (SIAB) is established by the director of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS).


  • 1st Board Meeting : October 12, 2016, NAOJ
  • 1st SMI Review : August 22, 2017, IoA, The University of Tokyo
  • 2nd SMI Review : December 21-22, 2017,  NAOJ / IoA, The University of Tokyo
  • 3rd SMI Review : April 2, 2018, NAOJ

Name Affiliation
 Satoru Iguchi (Chair)  NAOJ
 Hideki Takami  NAOJ
 Tomonori Usuda  NAOJ
 Takashi Miyata  The University of Tokyo
 Kentaro Motohara  The University of Tokyo

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SPICA Research Promotion Committee

SPICA Research Promotion Committee is established in 2018 as an council to the director of ISAS/JAXA.


  • 1st Committee Meeting : September 4, 2018 at ISAS
  • 2nd Committee Meeting : December 3, 2018 at ISAS
  • 3rd Committee Meeting : April 8, 2019 at ISAS
  • 4th Committee Meeting : August 2, 2019 at ISAS
  • 5th Committee Meeting : November 15, 2019 at ISAS
  • 6th Committee Meeting : April 17, 2020 on zoom
  • 7th Committee Meeting : July 31, 2020

Name Affiliation Area of Specialty Reference
Masanao Abe ISAS, JAXA Planetary material science -
Masatoshi Imanishi NAOJ AGNs, observational study GOPIRA
Yoshihiro Ueda Kyoto University AGNs, X-ray -
Fumi Egusa The University of Tokyo Intergalactic/interstellar medium, star formation -
Hiroyuki Sugita R&D directorate, JAXA Thermal control technology of spacecraft -
Tadafumi Takada NAOJ Galaxies, data center -
Yoichi Tamura Nagoya University Galaxy formation, observational study Udencon
Tohru Nagao (Chair) Ehime University Galaxy/black hole formation, observational study GOPIRA
Hideko Nomura (Vice-chair) NAOJ Star and planet formation, theoretical study Udencon
Seisuke Fukuda ISAS, JAXA Spacecraft systems -
Kentaro Motohara The University of Tokyo Galaxy, observational study GOPIRA
Munetake Momose Ibaraki University Star and planet formation, observational study Udencon


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Former Science Study Team




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