WASHINGTON: The White House has directed NASA to create a Lunar Virgo standard time.
The US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has directed the US space agency to develop a central time reference system for the Moon based on its various gravitational forces.
In a statement issued by the OSTP, head of the office Arati Prabhakar said that due to these factors, the Earth-based clocks will be 58.7 microseconds less per Earth day.
NASA has until 2026 to settle on this common time standard (called Coordinate Lunar Time, LTC by Arati Prabhakar). Later, this watch will be used by astronauts, spaceships and satellites.
NASA’s top communications and navigation official, Kevin Coggins, said a nuclear clock built for the moon would operate differently than a clock on Earth.
Last year, the European Space Agency said that Earth needs a common clock for the Moon, where one day is equal to 29.5 Earth days.
