The Department of Space Sciences and Technology, with its first name, was established in 1983 together with the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This department started teaching at the undergraduate level in the 1986-1987 academic year. The name of the Space Sciences and Technology Department was changed to the "Astronautical Engineering" Department as of the 1998-1999 academic year, with the decision taken at the meeting of the Executive Board of YÖK on 16.04.1997.