Spirit is healthy and making good progress downhill. The short-term goal is to drive toward couple of interesting features dubbed "Comanche" and "Miami." A decision on which target to choose for close examination will be made after the drive images come down from sol 680 (Dec. 1, 2005).
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Spirit used all four devices on its robotic arm — the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, the Moessbauer spectrometer, the microscopic imager, and the rock abrasion tool (the brush on the abrasion tool) — to study an outcrop area called "Seminole.
The two targets for use of those tools on this outcrop were informally named "Abiaka" and "Osceola".
The names refer to native American tribes in Florida. The investigations of the targets' composition identified abundant olivine and indicated that the outcrop is mafic (bearing a class of usually dark-colored minerals rich in magnesium and iron).
As of sol 679 (Nov. 30, 2005), Spirit has driven 5,463 meters (3.39 miles).
related report
Stalled Motor, Stowed Arm Opportunity Status For Sol 649-660
