The ACSYNT Institute was an innovation public-private partnership between NASA, eight aircraft companies and eight universities. Its goal was to develop computer-aided aircraft design software for multiple computational platforms.NASA JSR Program, Progress Report, Presentation to Mr. Arnold Aldrich, Associate Administrator, February 5, 1991, Pages 18-20, https://archive.org/details/nasa-jsr-program-progress-report-nasa-hq.-91.02.05 The Institute was managed by Virginia Tech's CAD Laboratory in Blacksburg, Virginia and expanded on the NASA Ames Research Center's AirCraft SYNThesis (ACSYNT) software, originally developed for NASA aeronautics missions.
Operating from 1990 to 1995 as a partnership project of NASA's Joint Sponsored Research Program (JSRP), the initiative shared costs and intellectual property among partners. The resulting software became an industry standard for aircraft design and was recognized as a commercialization success by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).Malone, B., & Myklebust, A. (November 1996). ACSYNT – Commercialization success. Paper presented at the Space Plane and Hypersonic Systems and Technology Conference. AIAA. doi:10.2514/6.1996-6002. (Subscription required).
Purpose and objectives The ACSYNT Institute was established to:NASA Joint Sponsored Research Agreement #8901-GA. ACSYNT Software for the Conceptual Design of Aircraft, Section: Purpose, October 1991, pp. 5–6. Available at: https://archive.org/details/nasa-arc-acsynt-institute.-jsra-8901.
Facilitate NASA-sponsored collaboration with Virginia Tech (VPI) and partner organizations to develop the ACSYNT aircraft design software. Advance NASA's aeronautical R&D by supporting computer-aided aircraft design technologies. Improve R&D efficiency through shared resources and expertise, addressing the needs of government, industry, and academia. Strengthen U.S. competitiveness by transferring ACSYNT software to industry and academia while supporting its commercialization.
The Institute's five-year R&D plan included key objectives:NASA Joint Sponsored Research Agreement #8901-GA. ACSYNT Software for the Conceptual Design of Aircraft, Appendix: Research and Development Plans, Research Tasks and Deliverables, October 1991, p. 41. Available at: https://archive.org/details/nasa-arc-acsynt-institute.-jsra-8901.
Annual releases of updated ACSYNT software for research, testing, and development. At least one maintenance update per year. Yearly research reports documenting progress and developments.
Membership The Institute expanded from six founding members to 22 participants by 1995, categorized as follows:
Federal Government
NASA: Ames, Lewis, and Langley Research Centers U.S. DOD: Naval Weapons Center, Naval Postgraduate School, Air Force Academy
State Government
State of Virginia (Center for Innovative Technology, C.I.T.)
Commercial
Boeing Commercial Airplane Boeing Helicopter Cessna Defense Group Inc. General Electric Aircraft Engine Lockheed McDonnell Douglas Northrop
Research management
Virginia Tech (VPI)
Academic
Arizona State University California Polytechnic, Pomona California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo Georgia Technology Mississippi State University University of Illinois University of Minnesota University of Virginia
Organization, management and administration The ACSYNT Institute operated as a multi-sponsor research program within Virginia Tech's CAD Laboratory with NASA participating as a public/private partner through a NASA Joint Sponsored Research Project (JSRP). The partnership originated from collaborations beginning in 1987, when NASA initially funded the lab through Cooperative Agreement NAG 2-461. By 1989, four aerospace companies had joined through separate agreements to contribute software code and provide user feedback.NASA Joint Sponsored Research Agreement #8901-GA. ACSYNT Software for the Conceptual Design of Aircraft, Section: Preamble, October 1991, p. 2. Available at: https://archive.org/details/nasa-arc-acsynt-institute.-jsra-8901 These were consolidated into a single partnership agreement in 1990 to resolve administrative conflicts with NASA funding guidelines and establish clear protocols for member contributions, resource sharing, and intellectual property allocation. The program was co-directed by Paul Gelhausen (NASA Ames) and Dr. Arvid Myklebust (Virginia Tech), with partnership administration handled through NASA's JSRP framework using management specialists from American Technology Initiative (AmTech), a non-profit organization specializing in public-private R&D collaborations.NASA JSR Program. Progress Report, Presentation to Mr. Arnold Aldrich, Associate Administrator. February 5, 1991. p. 4. Available at: https://archive.org/details/nasa-jsr-program-progress-report-nasa-hq.-91.02.05.
Public / private partnership NASA participated in ACSYNT Institute as a Joint Sponsored Research Project organized by the NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program (JSRP), which facilitated public-private R&D partnerships. Under a Joint Sponsored Research Agreement (JSRA), NASA combined resources - including funding, personnel, equipment, and software code - with other participants. This collaboration operated under NASA's funded Space Act Authority, which formally authorized the Agency's involvement in the partnership.NASA Joint Sponsored Research Agreement #8901-GA. ACSYNT Software for the Conceptual Design of Aircraft, Section: Preamble, October 1991. Available at: https://archive.org/details/nasa-arc-acsynt-institute.-jsra-8901.
Research and development plan (1990–1995) The Institute partners collaboratively executed a five-phase development program focused on:NASA Joint Sponsored Research Agreement #8901-GA. ACSYNT Software for the Conceptual Design of Aircraft, Section: Preamble, October 1991, pp. 41–47. Available at: https://archive.org/details/nasa-arc-acsynt-institute.-jsra-8901.
Geometric Modeling Graphical User Interface Analysis for Application Integration for Utilization Support for Ongoing Updates
Results and commercialization The Institute generated professional-grade, fully interactive, aircraft design software that enabled parametric geometry generation using spreadsheet input formats to drive CAD functionality.Gelhausen, P., ACSYNT (Aircraft Synthesis Program) Institute, Research and Technology, 1990, NASA Ames Research Center, Page 12 https://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19920024704/mode/2up?q=ACSYNT+Institute The software was portable across multiple platforms. A startup company, Phoenix Integration, was formed from students and participants to maintain and update the software.Aiding Aircraft Design, NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 3, March 1998, Pages 25-26, https://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20110003604/page/n27/mode/2up?q=NASA+Tech+Briefs+March+1998Aircraft Design Software, NASA Spinoff, 1977 https://spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff1997/ct11.html Phoenix Integration was later acquired by ANSYS in 2019.News Release, "Anays Acquires Phoenix Integration, Inc", May 17, 2021, ANSYS Inc. website, https://www.ansys.com/news-center/press-releases/05-17-21-ansys-acquires-phoenix-integration-inc accessed July 2, 2025 As of 2025, ANSYS continues to offer successor design software based on the ACSYNT platform.Aerospace Simulation Software, Software website, ANSYS Corporation, accessed July 2, 2025 https://www.ansys.com/Industries/Aerospace
Recognition NASA acknowledged the ACSYNT-derived software as both a development and spinoff success in 1997.Aircraft Design Software, NASA Spinoffs, 1997, Page 107, https://spinoff.nasa.gov/spinoff1997/ct11.html This followed earlier recognition in 1996 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), which highlighted the software's successful commercialization.
See also Aircraft design process Computer-aided design Phoenix Integration
External links
Aircraft Design ACSYNT Institute Center for Innovative Technology
References