NASA to develop a new clock for the Moon, where seconds pass faster

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to develop a new clock for the Moon, where seconds pass faster than on Earth.

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NASA to develop a new clock for the Moon, where seconds pass faster

The clock in question will not be a time zone like those on Earth, but a time reference specific to the Moon.

Because there is less gravity on the Moon compared to Earth, time flows 58.7 microseconds faster per day.

For this reason, the White House has instructed NASA and other U.S. agencies to work with international agencies to prepare a time reference system specific to the Moon.

'IT MAKES SENSE FOR EACH TO HAVE ITS OWN HEARTBEAT'

Kevin Coggins, an official with NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, stated in his remarks, "An atomic clock on the Moon will tick at a different rate than one on Earth. It makes sense that when you go to another celestial body, such as the Moon or Mars, each one gets its own heartbeat."

Coggins noted that everything on the Moon will operate according to the accelerated lunar time, but there will be no daylight saving time as there is on Earth.

Noting that the astronauts NASA previously sent to the Moon wore watches but that seconds were not as critical in those days as they are now, Coggins emphasized that in high-tech systems such as GPS, satellites, and complex computer and communication systems, even microseconds are important.

PLAN FOR LUNAR CLOCK TO BE PREPARED BY THE END OF 2026

The White House wants NASA to produce a preliminary concept by the end of this year and a final plan by the end of 2026.

The International Space Station, which is in low Earth orbit, will continue to use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), but because time even on Earth speeds up and slows down in ways that create "leap seconds," NASA needs to determine where the new "space time" will be implemented.

In 2023, the European Space Agency announced that a common time reference needed to be developed for the Moon, where a day lasts 29.5 Earth days.

ASTRONAUTS TO BE SENT TO LUNAR ORBIT

NASA aims to send astronauts to lunar orbit in September 2025 to conduct scientific investigations as part of the Artemis mission.

On January 10, NASA announced that the crewed landing on the Moon had been postponed to 2026 due to safety concerns regarding the spacecraft, as well as issues with astronauts' suits and landing vehicles.

News Source: AA