August 12, 2003

Shown to the right are two webcam images from the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse. The top image was taken July 31 and the second August 12. As you can see plant growth is continuing as the automated systems keep the greenhouse fully operational. Occasionally, based on the data returned, mission operations will send commands to one of the two computers which control the greenhouse. "Arthur" is the command and control system developed by Dr. Stephen Braham and his team at Simon Fraser University. Field Point computer, called Rama, was developed and is maintained by Dr. Alain Berinstein, Guelph University and Canadian Space Agency, Tom Graham, Guelph University and Keegan Boyd, the Canadian Space Agency. While we may still enjoying the summer, the conditions outside the greenhouse are decidedly wintry. Today the temperature is hoevring around minus 3°C but with a wind of around 30 km/h and it's snowing.

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