Flexcompute Launches Plume Physics Twin to Cut DSMC Compute Load
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BOSTON – – November 05, 2026 -- Northrop Grumman says Flexcompute's new Physics Twin for Space Plume Impingement has the potential to speed up plume analysis by about 200X compared with Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), the established method for rarefied plume flows. Flexcompute, an AI lab building a Physics World Model, has made the tool available now.
Tool targets thruster exhaust effects during close-range maneuvers
Plume impingement occurs when thruster exhaust strikes a nearby vehicle. It can push or heat the vehicle, set it tumbling, erode its surfaces or contaminate its sensors. The risk is highest during rendezvous and proximity operations, where one thruster firing can affect another spacecraft. Refueling, servicing and autonomous docking are expanding the number of such missions.