White House Tasks NASA With Setting Universal Time Standard For The Moon By 2026

The White House has instructed NASA to create a universal time standard for the moon and other celestial bodies. This move is designed to establish global space norms as the race to the moon intensifies.

What Happened: According to a memo, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has directed NASA to develop a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) by the end of 2026, Reuters reported. The LTC will be a benchmark for timekeeping on lunar spacecraft and satellites, which require precise timing for their missions.

Kevin Coggins, NASA’s space communications and navigation chief, explained that the gravitational force and other factors on the moon and other celestial bodies cause time to unfold differently than on Earth. For example, an Earth-based clock on the moon would appear to lose an average of 58.7 microseconds per Earth-day.

“Think of the atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory (in Washington). They’re the heartbeat of the nation, synchronizing everything. You’re going to want a heartbeat on the moon,” Coggins said.

The memo from OSTP chief Arati Prabhakar also highlighted the necessity of a unified lunar time standard for secure data transfers between spacecraft and synchronized communications between Earth, lunar satellites, bases, and astronauts. Discrepancies in time could lead to errors in mapping and locating positions on or orbiting the moon.

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Under the Artemis program, NASA is preparing to send astronaut missions to the moon and establish a scientific lunar base. The agency’s first astronaut lunar landing since the Apollo program’s end in the 1970s is scheduled for September 2026.

Why It Matters: The race to the moon has been heating up, with countries and private companies vying for a foothold in space. NASA has been actively involved in this space race, with plans to send astronauts to Mars and establish a lunar base. This latest directive from the White House underscores the U.S.’s commitment to leading the way in space exploration and setting international standards.

Earlier in 2023, NASA announced the launch of its own streaming platform, NASA Plus, to broadcast exclusive space-related content. This move was seen as a way for NASA to engage the public and generate interest in its space missions.

Meanwhile, other players in the space industry, such as Russia and Blue Origin, have also been making significant strides in space exploration, indicating a growing global interest in space activities.

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