This two-semester course will cover current practices in astronomy and space science including the technology used for the exploration of the planets and distant stars. This course is one possible choice for students in a three year science sequence, and is intended for 11th and 12th grade students, and includes both physics and earth science standards as they relate to astronomy and space exploration. Specific topics will include the formation and properties of the solar system, stars, galaxies, Newton’s and Kepler’s Laws, momentum and energy processes and transfer, as well as the engineering and technology that enables our exploration. Students will further consider the properties of our home planet such as Earth’s internal processes, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere and Magnetosphere through the lens of possible terraforming of Mars.