Martian rock. Overhead view of the Martian rock 'Adirondack', close to the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. 'Adirondack' is the first target rock for geological research by Spirit. This rock was chosen by scientists because its clean, flat surface is ideally suited to grinding and close examination. Spirit will use a grinding arm to obtain samples of rock for chemical analysis by its spectrometers. The mineral composition of the rock may reveal how it was formed and whether this area was once covered in water. Photographed by Spirit's panoramic camera in January 2004. For a microscope image of the surface of 'Adirondack', see R360/114.