If NASA's Artemis project By 2028, astronauts will be living in an outpost near the Moon's south pole. The White House released a memo On Tuesday, it stated its intention to establish and implement a unified time standard and time zone for the moon, Coordinated Lunar Time (LDC), before 2027. Deep down, every American already knows what the answer should be.
time at the peace site, Apollo 11 landing pad, to be the basis for LTC. Yes, the Artemis project will be a joint effort between 35 different countries, but only one country has successfully landed people on the moon before. This is not the first time a country has used its primacy to dictate global standards.
As humanity expands into space to coordinate between, there will be a legitimate need for a spacetime standard. NASA, other aerospace companies and private companies. The White House noted the need for precision and resiliency in communications to “support accurate navigation and science.” Disconnected from earth. However, the differences between this planet and the Moon are measured in microseconds. The note reads:
“For example, to an observer on the Moon, an Earth-based clock would appear to lose an average of 58.7 microseconds per Earth day with additional period variations. This has important implications for developing standards and capabilities for operations on or around the Moon.”
LTC is tied to Earth's established time standard, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC.) Each time zone around the world is expressed as hours plus or minus UTC. UTC is the effective time at the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London. Britain's position as A global superpower The 19th and early 20th centuries allowed its standards to become world standards.
American exceptionalism aside, Apollo 11 was the starting point for human presence on the moon. The mission's landing site based on the LTC will commemorate efforts to reach the lunar surface Humanity will return forever. NASA may be America's space agency, but the organization has always had altruistic ambitions. A sign left behind by the Apollo 11 crew reads, “We came in peace for all mankind.”
