The White House announced that it has directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to figure out how to tell time on the moon.
According to The Guardian, the US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) sent a memo to NASA urging the space agency to establish a lunar-centric time reference system in collaboration with other US international agencies.
The OSTP has instructed NASA to formulate a plan, called ‘Coordinate Lunar Time’ (LTC) by the end of 2026.
OSTP Deputy Director for National Security, Steve Welby, stated, “As NASA, private companies, and space agencies around the world launch missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, it's important that we establish celestial time standards for safety and accuracy.”
LTC will provide a chronological standard for lunar spacecraft and satellites as there is less gravity on the moon, therefore the time there moves quickly as compared to the Earth.
NASA’s communication and navigation official, Kevin Coggins, explained, “An atomic clock on the moon will tick at a different rate than a clock on Earth. It makes sense that when you go to another body, like the moon or Mars, each one gets its own heartbeat.”
Meanwhile, Welby further clarified the importance of LTC, saying, "A consistent definition of time among operators in space is critical to successful space situational awareness capabilities, navigation, and communications."
