It will be needed for communication between the Earth and the future base on the Moon, as well as for lunar trade
The White House has instructed NASA to create a single time standard for the Moon, as well as other celestial bodies, Reuters reports, citing a memo from the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Arati Prabhakar. According to the document, a plan to establish Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) should be presented by the end of 2026.
As stated in the memo, the Earth's clock for a person on the Moon would be behind by an average of 58.7 microseconds per day, and there are other discrepancies with Earth's time. Therefore, without a unified lunar time standard, it will be difficult to ensure the security of data transmission between spacecraft and the synchronization of communications between the Earth, lunar satellites, bases and astronauts. In addition, time discrepancies can lead to errors in mapping and determining locations on the Moon or its orbit.
OSTP also believes that to accurately determine lunar time, it may be necessary to install an atomic clock on the surface of the Earth's natural satellite. But later, when not only research, but also commercial activity is deployed on the Moon, a single time standard will be important for coordinating operations, conducting transactions and managing the logistics of lunar trade.
NASA previously stated that the first mission since the end of the Apollo program was planned for September 2026. landing astronauts on the moon in the 1970s. And before that, in September 2025, a flight of four astronauts around the Moon will take place. Future plans — creation of a scientific lunar base that will help prepare for flights to Mars.