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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has begun work to establish a separate time reference system for Earth’s satellite, the Moon. The new time reference system is intended to make it easier for astronauts to understand time differences. This comes as there has been an increase in exploration of the Moon by various space agencies globally.
The initiative for a separate time zone began when the White House sent a memo asking NASA to work with other US agencies to establish a time zone on Earth’s satellite. Guardian, According to the report, NASA has been given time till 2026 to establish the Moon’s specific time zone, also known as Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).
Is the Moon’s time zone different from Earth’s?
The gravitational force of the Moon is less than that of the Earth. Therefore time moves faster on the Moon than on Earth. According to scientists, time on the Moon moves 58.7 microseconds faster every day than on Earth.
The LTC, when installed, will be used as a time-keeping benchmark for lunar spacecraft and satellites that require extreme accuracy for their missions.
“An atomic clock on the Moon will run at a different pace than a clock on Earth,” Kevin Coggins, NASA’s top communications and navigation official, told the New York Post when talking about the project.
“It makes sense that when you go to another body like the Moon or Mars, everyone finds their own heartbeat,” he said.
How will LTC help astronauts on the Moon and other space missions?
A reuters The report published citing US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) officials said that without LTC, it would be challenging to ensure that data transfer between spacecraft is secure and between Earth, lunar satellites, bases and space. Communication between passengers is synchronized.
The last time NASA sent astronauts to the Moon they wore watches, he said, but with GPS, satellites and complex computer and communications systems, time was not as accurate and important as it is now. Those microseconds matter when high-tech systems interact, said Kevin Coggins, NASA’s top communications and navigation official.
Last year, the European Space Agency said Earth needed to come up with a unified time for the Moon, where one day is equal to 29.5 Earth days.
The International Space Station, being in low Earth orbit, will continue to use Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC. But NASA has to find out where the new space time starts. Even Earth’s time speeds up and slows down, requiring leap seconds.
Challenges of setting up LTC
Developing LTC may require placing atomic clocks on the Moon. These clocks are used to measure time and time zones on Earth and are placed at various locations around the world.
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Published: April 04, 2024, 03:31 PM IST
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