Modeling and Simulation
Expertise in Action
Highlights
Accelerating Air Quality Forecasts
Severe wildfires have released millions of smoke-borne contaminants into the air, setting off air quality alerts across the country. APL is using artificial intelligence to accelerate air quality forecasts and ultimately deliver a better understanding of how and where these pollutants will travel.
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Accelerating Air Quality Forecasts
AI for Complex Systems
Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and mathematics to spur innovation and novel solutions to challenges at the intersection of Earth systems and national security
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AI for Complex Systems
Creating Coatings for Extreme Environments
The leading edges of hypersonics vehicles—as well as fins, control surfaces, and apertures—need to be protected against speeds exceeding Mach 5, temperatures well above 1,000 degrees Celsius, oxidation from the atmosphere, and tremendous aerodynamic shear loads. Custom materials can enable mission success in these extreme environments.
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Creating Coatings for Extreme Environments
AI for Tipping Point Discovery
Artificial intelligence experts and oceanographers are integrating AI with traditional Earth systems modeling methods to enable scientific researchers to better understand tipping points, critical thresholds that, once crossed, could “tip” a natural Earth system into an entirely different state.
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AI for Tipping Point Discovery
Dynamic Simulation
With the clock ticking down to the first Minuteman III test flight to feature a miniature analog translator (MAT)—developed and built by APL to replace the obsolete full signal translator (FST) used for real-time range tracking and GPS signal data on prior test flights—qualification tests identified a need to change a configuration file in the MAT ground equipment.
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Dynamic Simulation
Modeling Warfighter Decision-Making
Working with technical consultants and the Navy fighter aircraft community, we created a pilot-behavior model for air-to-air combat.
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Modeling Warfighter Decision-Making
Revolutionizing Materials Discovery for National Security
APL is reimagining and accelerating the targeted discovery of materials tailored to withstand and perform in the most demanding conditions, ensuring enhanced capabilities in extreme environments.
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Revolutionizing Materials Discovery for National Security
Standard Missile-3: The Next Generation
APL led key “end-to-end” system-level performance analysis in collaboration with the government–industry team for the SM-3 Block IIA missile, cooperatively developed by the United States and Japan.
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Standard Missile-3: The Next Generation
Global Partners to Highlight BOLT Hypersonic Experiment Success Jan 9, 2026
Learning from an anomaly during the first BOLT-1A flight, the successful BOLT-1B follow-on flight experiment collected hundreds of critical measurements, providing data to advance understanding of complex physics important to hypersonic flight.
An Accelerated Paradigm for Developing Mission-Critical Materials Sep 17, 2025
Scientists and engineers at Johns Hopkins APL are applying artificial intelligence and robotics to dramatically accelerate the process of designing, testing and optimizing metallic components for the defense industrial base.
Johns Hopkins APL Modeling Tool Affirms Critical Role of Testing in Pandemic Response Jan 3, 2025
APL has contributed to a new study in The Lancet Public Health that found that public-private partnerships to develop, produce and distribute COVID-19 diagnostic tests saved approximately 1.4 million lives and prevented an estimated 7 million patient hospitalizations in the U.S. during the pandemic.
Scientists Fuse Simulations and Machine Learning to Accelerate Novel Additively Manufactured Materials Oct 9, 2024
A new Johns Hopkins APL-led study shows how machine learning can be used to predict the microstructures produced by a widely used additive manufacturing technique. This novel approach promises to dramatically reduce the cost of and time spent developing materials with tailored physical properties and will soon be implemented on a NASA-funded effort focused on creation of a digital twin.
Johns Hopkins APL’s Galfond Celebrated as an Outstanding Woman in Aerospace Sep 25, 2024
APL engineer Marissa Galfond has been honored with the Women in Aerospace 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award for her technical contributions and leadership in the development of a revolutionary weapon-survivability modeling and simulation software application.
Into Vanishing Ice May 21, 2024
The melting Arctic is creating new trade, economic and operational opportunities — but also new challenges that could threaten the U.S. border and the region’s fragile ecosystem. Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL are pooling their expertise and established experience in materials, modeling, AI and sensing to develop the technology and knowledge for a sustainable and lasting foothold in this rapidly changing region.
Catching Additive Manufacturing Flaws with Nanoseconds to Spare May 9, 2024
Additive manufacturing has significant potential to strengthen the United States’ manufacturing base, but flaws within additively manufactured parts are preventing widespread adoption. Johns Hopkins APL experts are addressing this issue by developing sensors capable of identifying and preventing these flaws before they occur.
Johns Hopkins APL Developing a Suite of Solutions to Address Coastal Challenges Apr 25, 2024
As coastlines become more difficult to secure, APL is combining expertise in materials engineering, marine biology, plant biology, computer science and modeling to fortify coastal resilience.
Johns Hopkins APL Plays Pivotal Role in Successful FTX-23 Missile Defense Test Apr 9, 2024
APL played a pivotal role in a successful demonstration of the Aegis Weapon System’s ability to track and intercept a complex missile target.