The White House has announced its directive to NASA to develop a unified time standard for the Moon and other celestial bodies, aiming to establish international norms as governments and private companies intensify their activities in space.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued the instruction, tasking NASA with formulating a plan by the end of 2026 for a standard known as Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).
According to Steve Welby, OSTP Deputy Director for National Security, as missions to celestial bodies increase, it’s crucial to establish celestial time standards for safety and accuracy. He emphasized the necessity of a consistent definition of time for successful space operations, navigation, and communications, given the variability of time in different spatial locations.
The Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) aims to synchronize with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the primary time standard used worldwide to regulate time on Earth. The directive also involves collaboration between NASA and various US departments, including Commerce, Defense, State, and Transportation, to enhance navigation and operations for missions in cislunar space.
The new time standard, focusing on traceability to UTC, precision navigation, resilience, and scalability, will play a crucial role in facilitating future space missions, particularly in the region between Earth and the Moon.
While technical specifics for establishing a lunar time standard were not extensively outlined, OSTP suggested the adoption of elements from existing standards on Earth. This could involve using an ensemble of clocks on the Moon, akin to how Terrestrial Time is set through atomic clocks on Earth.
The announcement comes as the United States prepares for its return to the Moon in 2026, marking humanity’s first lunar landing since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. With space exploration efforts accelerating globally, establishing a unified time standard for celestial bodies is deemed essential for the success and safety of future missions beyond Earth’s orbit.
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