As more companies and countries enter the space race, the White House has directed NASA to lead an effort to help the moon and other planets in the solar system establish standard time.
According to a recently announced memorandumthe new time zone is called Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) and could be introduced by the end of 2026.
A standard lunar day is equivalent to 29.53 Earth days.
Due to the moon’s reduced gravity, clocks are about 56 microseconds longer compared to 24 hours on Earth.
The idea of space explorers using agreed-upon time has been floating around for years, and the European Space Agency has recently been investigating new potential time zones for celestial bodies.
It is unclear whether the United States will adopt the ESA’s proposals, as foreign agencies have not announced when they will be published.
A memo from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy states, “By sharing a vision and unifying purpose across agencies, the United States will continue to advance responsible, peaceful, and sustainable exploration of the lunar sphere and the application of discoveries in this area.” “to lead the way.” . “OSTP will lead and support the implementation of this policy and guidance.”
If the memorandum’s timeline holds, it would mean the moon would enter its official time zone before humans return to the lunar body.
The Artemis mission aims to send a man and a woman to the moon for the first time since 1972.
NASA plans to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole with the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2026, to explore ice deposits and other important supporting elements.
The space agency also plans to install a communications network on the moon, much like the navigation systems used on Earth.
In addition to increased surface activity on the lunar body, NASA is also in the final design stages of Lunar Gateway, a space station expected to orbit close to the moon.
The future space station is expected to be operational by 2028, with modules potentially launching into orbit as early as 2025.
Like the International Space Station, this mission will be a joint effort between the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
