White House Directs NASA to Create Unified Time Standard for Moon and Celestial Bodies

The White House recently announced a new directive for NASA to create a unified time standard for the Moon and other celestial bodies. This move comes as governments and private companies increasingly compete in space exploration and missions beyond Earth’s orbit.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has instructed NASA to formulate a plan by the end of 2026 for a standard known as Coordinated Lunar Time. This new standard, also referred to as LTC, is intended to be tied to the current Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) used worldwide to regulate time on Earth.

According to OSTP Deputy Director for National Security Steve Welby, establishing a celestial time standard is crucial for ensuring safety and accuracy as more missions are launched to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Time passes differently in space depending on gravitational forces, and having a consistent definition of time is essential for space situational awareness, navigation, and communication.

The new time standard strategy will focus on features such as traceability to UTC, accuracy for precision navigation and scientific purposes, resilience to loss of contact with Earth, and scalability for environments beyond cislunar space. While technical specifics for establishing a lunar time standard were not outlined in the memorandum, OSTP suggested it could involve an ensemble of clocks on the Moon similar to how Terrestrial Time is set on Earth.

The United States is gearing up for a return to the Moon in 2026, marking the first lunar landing since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. By establishing a unified time standard for celestial bodies, the US aims to set international norms for space operations and improve navigation and other mission operations in cislunar space.

As space exploration continues to expand, having a standardized time system will be critical for the success and safety of future missions. By directing NASA to create a unified time standard for the Moon and other celestial bodies, the White House is taking a proactive step towards ensuring accuracy and efficiency in space exploration beyond Earth.