NASA Plans to Establish Universal Time on the Moon: A Look at the Initiative and Its Implications

In the future, NASA plans to establish its own time zone for the Moon. This initiative is being coordinated with international organizations such as the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and the International Astronomical Union. With an increase in traffic to the Moon, including recent attempts by probes to land there, it is projected that people will be living on the Moon in the 2030s.

Due to its reduced gravity compared to Earth, time passes slightly faster on the Moon. Physicists have calculated that time ticks 0.0000575 seconds faster per day than on Earth. Different calculations have been made to determine a common lunar time, and discussions among international organizations are taking place to establish Lunar Universal Time.

To create coordinated time for the Moon, NASA has been tasked with sending atomic clocks to track its seconds and passage of time compared to Earth. Other countries, such as China, will decide if they will follow NASA’s suggested time for the Moon. Ultimately, only one time zone is expected to apply to all points on the Moon, ensuring universal timekeeping on the lunar surface.