By SETH BORENSTEIN (AP Science Writer)
WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA seeks to devise an extraordinary method for tracking time, establishing a specialized clock for the moon.
It’s not exactly a time zone like those on Earth, but a complete time standard for the moon. Due to lower gravity on the moon, time moves slightly faster there — by 58.7 microseconds each day — compared to Earth. As a result, the White House has instructed NASA and other U.S. agencies to collaborate with international partners to create a new time reference system specific to the moon.
“An atomic clock on the moon will tick at a different rate than a clock on Earth,” said Kevin Coggins, NASA’s top communications and navigation official. “It makes sense that when you go to another body, like the moon or Mars that each one gets its own heartbeat.”
Coggins mentioned that everything on the moon will function based on the accelerated moon time.
According to Coggins, during NASA's previous moon missions, astronauts wore watches, but precise timing wasn’t as crucial then as it is now with GPS, satellites, and complex computer and communication systems. He emphasized the significance of microseconds in the interaction of high-tech systems.
Last year, the European Space Agency proposed the need for Earth to establish a standardized time for the moon, where a day lasts 29.5 Earth days.
The International Space Station, situated in low Earth orbit, will continue to utilize coordinated universal time or UTC. However, NASA needs to determine exactly when the new spacetime system will take effect, given that Earth's time fluctuates, necessitating the addition of leap seconds.
Coggins clarified that unlike Earth, the moon will not observe daylight saving time.
The White House has instructed NASA to propose an initial concept by the end of the year and develop a final plan by the end of 2026.
NASA aims to have astronauts orbit the moon in September 2025 and land people there a year later.
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