This booklet is composed primarily to generate basic awareness in the young minds about the different facets of space science and exploration, in a systematic manner. The topics addressed in this booklet span a wide spectrum, so as to present the holistic perspective of the subject to the students. Each topic, although deserves discussions at depth and breadth, has been consciously kept to the basic level, in order not to load the reader with the specifics of any particular aspect. It is expected that this booklet will also serve the purpose of making the students aware of the basic components of space science research, and appreciate the cross-disciplinary nature of space exploration, and the importance of system-level thinking, transcending the barriers of the individual subjects they study in their curriculum.

This booklet is an original composition of scientific facts, by the author. It contains only academic information, and public domain material, and not any confidential information.