Before humans can even attempt to live on the moon, we have to find some kind of food source, shelter, and, of course, a way to breathe oxygen.
Another less obvious but just as essential issue to solve is how to keep track of time on the moon. It’s up to experts to create a moon-based time standard, which will be a challenge because time passes faster on the moon compared to Earth.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to send humans to the moon soon. But before that can happen, precise timekeeping is needed to engage in safe spacecraft practices and maintain consistent communication with Earth.
“It’s not just the U.S. going back to the moon by itself. We are going as the Artemis partners—right now, 36 nations—and they are spread out across the globe. So we’ve got to figure out one way where we can talk to everybody at the same time,” Michelle Hanlon, the executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi.
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may have designed a clock that is suitable for the lunar lifestyle.
On Earth, we use atomic clocks to accurately keep track of time. Atomic clocks use the properties of an atom to measure time.
They are used in several different fields for the many technological advancements we depend on today, such as GPS.
However, we cannot use the same atomic clocks on the moon. Atoms are affected by the force of gravity.
The moon’s gravitational force causes atomic clocks to tick faster by approximately 56 microseconds per day relative to Earth.
vovan – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The time difference may seem tiny and inconsequential, but space flight requires extreme precision. It can add up and start creating a multitude of problems. Someone on Earth won’t measure time the same way as someone on the moon.
So, the researchers came up with a new timekeeping strategy that is referred to as the lunar time zone or Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC). It is similar to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on Earth.
“It’s like having the entire moon synchronized to one ‘time zone’ adjusted for the moon’s gravity, rather than having clocks gradually drift out of sync with Earth’s time,” Bijunath Patla, a NIST physicist, said. “The goal is to ensure that spacecraft can land within a few meters of their intended destination.”
Someday, NASA plans to build a long-term lunar base or possibly even conduct mining operations on the moon.
Either way, the lunar time coordination system is key to the success of future missions to the moon. As Neil Armstrong put it, that is “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
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