The American government wants NASA to figure out how to tell time on the moon. writes about this Guard.
The head of the US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has sent an order to the space agency to establish the so-called coordinated lunar time (LTC) by the end of 2026. NASA was proposed to work with other organizations to create a moon-centered time reference system.
It is stated that lunar time is not a time zone like on Earth, but a complete time counting system for the Moon.
There is less gravity on Earth’s satellite, so time flows slightly faster there (58.7 microseconds per day) compared to Earth. Among other things, LTC will become the time measurement standard for lunar spacecraft and satellites that require extreme precision to complete their missions.
“Atomic clocks on the Moon will operate at a different rate than clocks on Earth,” said NASA scientist Kevin Coggins.
The US space agency plans to send astronaut missions to the Moon’s surface. We are talking about September 2026. The explorations are planned as part of the Artemis program, which will also create a scientific lunar base that could help pave the way for future missions to Mars.
Dozens of companies, spacecraft and countries are participating.
Reported without a uniform lunar time standard Reuters An OSTP spokesman said it would be difficult to ensure secure data transmission between spacecraft and synchronized communications between Earth, lunar satellites, bases and astronauts.
Time inconsistencies can also lead to errors in mapping and locating the Moon or its orbit.
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