Variable temperature RF ion traps offer unique and well-controlled environment for studying ion-molecule reactions. One of interesting applications of such low temperature kinetics studies would be reactions relevant to planetary atmospheres and the interstellar medium. A next generation variable temperature 22-pole ion trap is being constructed as a part of a molecular and ion beam system. This system will allow for various reaction probes of the trapped ions including interaction with dense neutral molecular beams of condensable species and chemical probing of the reaction products, as well as in situ synthesis of complex molecular ions using pulsed reagent gas. The trap achieves temperature control of the trapped ions in the range 4-500 K through buffer gas cooling. Future project developments will involve extension into higher trap temperatures, velocity selection of the neutral beam, and state-selected laser pumping of ions. The research techniques will be developed starting with charge transfer reactions between molecular nitrogen ion and argon. This reaction is chosen because it involves non-condensing gases without other chemistry and is spectroscopically well-understood. We will then continue with variable temperature studies of hydrogenation of large hydrocarbon ions (C_nH_m⁺ with n around 6). This would help to address, at low temperatures and with sufficient rate coefficient sensitivity, the problem of generation of hydrocarbon distribution in the interstellar medium. Formaldehyde as well as alkyl transfer chemistry at low temperatures are other two directions of research relevant to carbon growth and nitrogen fixation in the interstellar medium.