Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration

Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) is a planetary exploration program operated by NASA. The program funds small, low-cost spacecraft for stand-alone planetary exploration missions. These spacecraft are intended to launch as secondary payloads on other missions and are riskier than Discovery or New Frontiers missions.

The program selects missions from multiple proposals and gives them some money to begin development. After early development they are analyzed to see if they are cost-effective and scientifically valuable during Key Decision Point-C. If they pass Key Decision Point-C, then they will move into full development. The missions must weigh less than 180 kg.

As of March 2025, three missions have launched and failed, one is scheduled to launch in 2025, and one has been postponed indefinitely.

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