When a high-profile task force sent NASA brass its recommendations this month for prioritizing space station science, the word Mars was nowhere to be found. Yet in its ranking of broadly defined scientific disciplines, a theme emerged that bodes well for a Mars trip because the task force gave top priority to science that enhances NASA’s ability to launch ships and people farther into deep space. Mars is the deep space target most talked about since the last moon landing 30 years ago, and going there is among the reasons given for building space stations in the first place.