While final preparations continue for the launch of ESA’s Mars Express — the Agency’s first mission to explore the Red Planet — European scientists and engineers are also looking towards the future, to a time when humans are able to set foot on the rust-red sands of our neighbouring world. Preliminary planning for this giant leap in space exploration is well underway as part of ESA’s Aurora Programme, and some 60 members of industry, national space agencies and ESA came together on 14-15 May to receive a progress report on current activities and discuss the way forward.