  The NeXT (New exploration X-ray Telescope), the new Japanese X-ray Astronomy
Satellite following Suzaku, is an international X-ray mission which is
currently planed for launch in 2013. NeXT is a combination of wide band X-ray
spectroscopy (3 - 80 keV) provided by multi-layer coating, focusing hard X-ray
mirrors and hard X-ray imaging detectors, and high energy-resolution soft X-ray
spectroscopy (0.3 - 10 keV) provided by thin-foil X-ray optics and a
micro-calorimeter array. The mission will also carry an X-ray CCD camera as a
focal plane detector for a soft X-ray telescope and a non-focusing soft
gamma-ray detector. With these instruments, NeXT covers very wide energy range
from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. The micro-calorimeter system will be developed by
international collaboration lead by ISAS/JAXA and NASA. The simultaneous broad
bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution of Delta E ~ 7 eV by the
micro-calorimeter will enable a wide variety of important science themes to be
pursued.
