According to Jim Bell, after about 80 sols parked at the NW rim of Erebus with the arm problem, they were running out of things to do with Opportunity.

Of course, they fund 'MER' not the individual rovers - so as long as one rover is still moving, they'll probably get funding. Once they are both stuck, a few months of the full observations they can do at that point, and then perhaps winding down to occasional contacts via Odyssey for environmental observations with Mini TES.

Spirits FR wheel problem is a biggie though - it looks properly stuck, and one pair of images showed it tilting in 'camber' - a sort of wobble that shouldnt be happening with those wheels. The previous Spirit wheel problem was nothing like this - it drew more current but it worked so they could use it sparingly. Now - it's properly stuck (and it's not debris within the wheel itself). They'll get to the slopes dragging it no problem, but they'll have to try and sort that wheel during the winter - a work around of fix of some sort.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet - Opportunity has begun to make regular, good progress SE away from Erebus toward Victoria crater.

Doug