ASTRO-F: The infrared imaging surveyor (IRIS) mission

The ASTRO-F (IRIS) is the first Japanese satellite dedicated for infrared astronomy. The telescope has a 70 cm diameter aperture and is cooled down to 6 K by a small amount of liquid helium assisted by a mechanical cooling system. The primary purpose of this project is to investigate the birth and evolution of galaxies in the early universe by deep and wide-field surveys in wavelengths of 2 to 200 microns. The spatial resolution and the point source sensitivity are nearly the same as those of the aperture diffraction limit and the natural background and/or confusion limit, respectively. In the far-infrared wavelength band, the ASTRO-F will achieve an all-sky survey like the IRAS all-sky survey with much higher sensitivity and better spatial resolution. In the near- and mid-infrared regions, wide area sky-surveys will be performed for pre-selected sky areas. In addition to these photometric surveys, low-resolution spectroscopic capabilities are available for the all wavelength bands. The ASTRO-F mission will produce a fundamental database for advanced observatories in the next generation, for example FIRST, NGST, and so on, complementing to the SIRTF in the respect of its wide sky coverage. The launch by an M-V rocket is scheduled in February or in March of 2004. © 2002 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights. reserved.