PRAXIS
Mission
Prelims:
Science & Technology
Mains:
GS Paper III-Science and Technology
Current relevance:
NASA
has selected PRAXIS (Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ
Sampling) as a NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) 2026 Phase I
mission.
At a glance:
1.
Objective:
i.
The mission
seeks to answer key scientific questions on how planetary rings form,
evolve, and what ring particles are made of through direct in-situ
sampling.
2. PRAXIS will use a bio-inspired robotic explorer powered
by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model to autonomously identify and
sample ring particles.
3. Instead of flying through planetary rings, the
spacecraft will graze the ring plane and perform a touch-and-go
sampling using a long deployable boom, allowing safe collection of
surface samples from selected ring particles.
4.
The spacecraft
will collect free-floating particles and use onboard instruments, assisted by
AI, to measure particle size, porosity, composition.
5.
Selection under
NIAC Phase I enables PRAXIS to undertake simulations and system design
studies, with progression to Phase II paving the way for the development
of a physical prototype.
Source: THE
HINDU - https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/praxis-a-nasa-mission-to-graze-planet-rings/article71269143.ece