Overview

• NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program is spearheading the development of a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) standard.
• The initiative follows an April directive from the White House, with a strategy to be finalized by December 31, 2026.
• A uniform lunar time zone is essential for precise navigation, communication, and landing operations on the moon.
• Atomic clocks on the lunar surface would tick faster than those on Earth by about 56 microseconds per day due to weaker gravity.
• The new time standard will also support a future lunar GPS system and could be scalable to Mars and other celestial bodies.