NASA selects ‘PRAXIS’ mission concept for 2026 NIAC funding to explore planetary rings

NASA has selected a new mission concept called ‘PRAXIS’ for its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2026 Phase I funding.

PRAXIS stands for ‘Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling’. The proposed mission will consist of a bio-inspired robotic explorer powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) model. Its goal: to directly sample particles from planetary ring systems — a feat no previous mission has attempted.

The concept was chosen based on key open questions in planetary ring science highlighted in NASA’s Planetary Science Decadal Survey as priority areas for future research.

If developed, PRAXIS could provide the first in-situ data from ring particles, helping scientists understand how rings form, evolve, and interact with their parent planets. NIAC Phase I funding supports early-stage, visionary ideas that could transform future space exploration.