Will Shanklin has been writing about gadgets, tech and their impact on humanity since 2011. Before joining Engadget, he spent five years creating and leading the mobile technology section for New Atlas. His work has also appeared on SlashGear, TechRadar, Digital Trends, AppleInsider, Android Central, HuffPost and others.
directing NASA to create a new time standard for the Moon by 2026. Coordinated Lunar Time will establish an official time reference to help guide future lunar missions. It arrives asThe memo directs NASA to work with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State, and Transportation to plan a strategy to put LTC into practice by December 31, 2026. International cooperation will also play a role, especially with signees of the Artemis Accords.
“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,” OSTP Deputy Director for National Security Steve Welbyin a White House press release.
Einstein’s theories of relativity dictate that time changes relative to speed and gravity. Given the Moon’s weaker gravity , time moves slightly faster there. So an Earth-based clock on the lunar surface would appear to gain an average of 58.7 microseconds per Earth day. As the US and other countries plan Moon missions to research, explore and build bases for permanent residence, using a single standard will help them synchronize technology and missions requiring precise timing.
“The same clock that we have on Earth would move at a different rate on the moon,” NASA space communications and navigation chief Kevin Coggins . “Think of the atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory . They’re the heartbeat of the nation, synchronizing everything. You’re going to want a heartbeat on the moon.”The White House wants LTC to coordinate with Coordinated Universal Time , the standard by which all of Earth’s time zones are measured. Its memo says it wants the new time zone to enable accurate navigation and scientific endeavors.
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