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On Tuesday, the White House released the following report: policy memo Directs NASA to create a new time standard for the moon by 2026. Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) establishes an official time reference to guide future lunar exploration missions. It comes as the 21st century space race erupts between (at least) the United States, China, Japan, India, and Russia.
The memo directs NASA to work with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State, and Transportation to plan a strategy to implement LTC by December 31, 2026. International cooperation will also play a role, particularly with signatories to the Artemis Accords. Established in 2020, these are a set of common principles among the growing list of (currently) 37 countries governing space exploration and operating principles. China and Russia are not included in that group.
“As NASA, private companies, and space agencies around the world launch missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, it is critical that we establish a timeless standard for safety and accuracy,” OSTP National Security said Steve Welby, Deputy Director of Security. I have written In a White House press release. “Consistent time definitions among operators in space are critical to successful space situational awareness, navigation, and communications, all of which enable interoperability across the U.S. government and with international partners. This will serve as the basis for the future.”
Einstein’s theory of relativity tells us that time changes depending on speed and gravity. Given the Moon’s weaker gravity (and the differences in the movements of the Moon and Earth), time moves slightly faster on the Moon. Therefore, an Earth-based clock on the moon would appear to gain an average of 58.7 microseconds per Earth day. As the United States and other countries plan lunar exploration programs for research, exploration, and (eventually) building bases for permanent residence, using a single standard will help ensure accurate Timing helps synchronize required technology and missions.
“The same clock on Earth would run at a different speed on the moon,” said Kevin Coggins, NASA’s space communications and navigation chief. Said Reuters. “Think of the atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory[in Washington]. They are the heartbeat of the nation and keep everything in sync. You would want to see a heartbeat on the moon.”
The White House wants LTC to align with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the standard by which all time zones on Earth are measured. The memo states that the new time zone is needed to allow for accurate navigation and scientific efforts. The company also hopes LTC will remain resilient in the event of loss of connection with Earth, while providing scalability to the space environment “beyond the Earth-Moon system.”
NASA’s Artemis mission aims to send a manned mission back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s. The space agency announced in January that Artemis 2, which will carry four people and fly around the moon, is scheduled to launch in September 2025. Artemis 3, which plans to return humans to the moon, is currently scheduled for 2026.
In addition to the United States, China also aims to land astronauts on the moon. By 2030 As the world’s two major global superpowers take their competition to space. No other countries have announced manned missions to the lunar surface, including India (which placed a module and rover at the moon’s south pole last year), Russia (whose mission around the same time was less successful), and the United Arab Emirates. There are national federations, etc. , Japan, South Korea, and private companies have all demonstrated moon ambitions in recent years.
The moon could not only enable further scientific exploration, technology establishment, and resource extraction, but also serve as an important stop on the way to Mars. It could test technology and provide the fuel and supplies needed for an eventual human mission to Mars.