The Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory was founded in 1992 and has grown to be one of the nation’s premier centers for Aerospace Systems Design.

Dr. Dimitri Mavris, the director of ASDL, is supported by a professional research staff consisting of research engineers and post-doctoral fellows. Both the director and the research staff direct and mentor graduate students who also serve as graduate research assistants. Currently, the lab supports many Master's, Ph.D., and Undergraduate students.

ASDL is a systems design lab, and therefore, all disciplines, such as aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, stability and controls, flight mechanics, etc., are represented through the research staff and student researchers. Most importantly, they are all co-located in one facility. Due to the proximity of the disciplinary expertise, ASDL provides a unique environment for research and teaching in design engineering and analysis methods. Since design is inherently a multidisciplinary activity, it is essential for a successful program that students and faculty have the opportunity to work closely together in teams.
Since its inception, ASDL has continued to grow and develop new design methods. In 1994, the lab created the Georgia Tech Generic Concurrent Engineering (CE) and Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) methodologies. In 1995, it created a methodology for advanced sizing/synthesis, pioneering research in Response Surface Methodologies (RSM) for advanced sizing and synthesis. The following year saw the development of Robust Design Simulation (RDS) to examine economic uncertainty and viability. By 1997, ASDL had created a Technology Impact Forecasting (TIF) and Probabilistic Analysis technique through Fast Probability Integration (FPI). The Technology Identification, Evaluation, and Selection methodology was established in 1998 and has been widely used in government and industry. This approach showed the effects of technologies on affordability. Technology uncertainty modeling and a Unified Tradeoff Environment (UTE) to evaluate technologies and requirements concurrently followed in 1999 and 2000, respectively. In 2001, a process to assess and track technology metrics (Technology Metric Assessment and Tracking, TMAT) was developed by ASDL for use in NASA's Ultra Efficient Engine Technology program.

As ASDL’s methods have developed and progressed, so have the lab’s affiliations with industry and government. The lab has striven to diversify its research collaborations. This can be seen in the diversity of the funding that ASDL received in last year!

ASDL has also grown in terms of those involved with the organization. ASDL obtains direction and feedback from the External Advisory Board (EAB) consisting of chief scientists, managers, and directors of related government organizations and aerospace industry companies. The role of the ASDL EAB is to provide feedback and/or direction to guide the laboratory’s research. This review board is invited to Georgia Tech on an annual basis during which both students and research staff showcase the research efforts for the year. This review format has provided valuable dialogue, technical collaboration, and technology transfer. In addition to the EAB, CASE has a Board of Directors to fulfill a similar role for the two CASE organizations, ASDL and the Space Systems Design Laboratory (SSDL) led by Dr. Olds.

Below is a flowchart of the ASDL's organization.