“As NASA, private companies and space agencies around the world launch missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, it is important that we establish a standard time. This is necessary for the safety and accuracy of space travel,” said the science agency’s director from the White House, Steve Welby.
“By the end of 2026, NASA must present a strategy for the introduction of so-called lunar time,” the science agency added.
To an observer on the moon, a clock on Earth appears to run an average of 58.7 millionths of a second slower per Earth day. This minuscule shift can be important for determining location and communication, for example.
According to the White House, the intention is to link Coordinated Lunar Time (CLT), the lunar time, to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is used on Earth to set clocks.
“NASA has been instructed to collaborate with various U.S. government departments and international partners in the development of lunar time,” the science agency said.
