NASA will create a new time reference system

The US government’s Office of Science and Technology Policy has directed NASA to work with other scientific institutions in the country and partners from other countries to create a lunar-centric timing system. By the end of 2026, NASA must create standard time on the Earth’s satellite or Lunar Coordinated Time (LTC), writes The Guradian.

The US government has commissioned NASA to create a consistent system for keeping time on the Moon, and this is not like time zones on Earth. Due to lower gravity, time on the Moon passes slightly faster than time on Earth – 58.7 seconds per day. LTC will become the standard for measuring time for spacecraft and vehicles that need precision in determining time.

NASA plans to land astronauts on the surface of the Moon as early as September 2026, and then create a lunar base there. The Office of Science and Technology Policy believes that without a standard lunar time, it will be difficult to ensure the security of data transmission between spacecraft and the synchronization of communications between the Earth, astronauts on the Moon, the lunar base and spacecraft. Time differences can lead to errors in determining the position on the Moon or its orbit.

All clocks and time zones on Earth operate according to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is recognized throughout the world. This system relies on a vast network of atomic clocks located in different locations around the planet. These clocks measure changes in the state of atoms and create an average that determines the exact time. Therefore, creating Lunar Coordinated Time may require placing an atomic clock on the Moon.

The International Space Station, which is in low Earth orbit, will continue to use Coordinated Universal Time. But where exactly the new space-time will begin remains to be seen by NASA. Even time on Earth speeds up and slows down, requiring leap seconds.