Monitoring and Control for Artificial Climate Design

The monitoring and control of an artificial climate is necessitated by the Mars Dome Project (MDP) [ref 1]. MDP is designed to grow plants in an enclosed structure under reduced pressure. This system includes a dome enclosure, an environmental control system, a plant growth system, a data logging system, and an external vacuum vessel [ref 2]. Each of these systems is integrated by the use of a solid-state control device located inside the base of the Atmospheric Tower Management System (ATMS). Details of the controller follow a short summary of the major components of the MDP.