With the rise of coordinated space explorations between multiple partners, imposing one’s own schedule in outer space is a goal for both Washington and Beijing. The White House says the Artemis Accords are “the foundation of American leadership in space.” The Asian power aims to establish a lunar time zone and internet by 2028.
Rome (/Agencies) – What time is it on the moon? A question that cannot be taken for granted given that space is an increasingly frequent destination for missions, manned and unmanned, coordinated by multiple countries. What time zone should I choose? As reported by South China Morning PostChina and Russia, its current space partner, are competing with the United States regarding the “international standard” in the reference schedule for space projects. Each one carries out separate initiatives. Setting temporary standards is not only a crucial step for practical coordination, but has also historically been a symbol of power and political influence. The winner will leave their mark on the history of space exploration and set a standard for future lunar missions, thus cementing their own global influence.
United States: Artemis Accords
Following a directive from the White House, NASA is working to create a new temporal standard, Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), to support safe and sustainable exploration as other countries and private companies plan missions to the Moon. The proposed time system will be adopted by the 43 countries signatories to the Artemis Accords, led by the United States, and is intended to serve as an “international standard,” according to an April memo from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“Knowledge of weather in remote operating regimes is critical to the scientific discovery, economic development, and international collaboration that form the foundation of U.S. leadership in space,” the document says. Namrata Goswami, a space policy researcher at Arizona State University, noted that during the Cold War lunar spacecraft used the time zone of their home country, but at that time activities on the Moon were more limited.
China and Russia: International Lunar Research Station
Beijing and Moscow, non-signatories to the Artemis Accords, are carrying out a parallel effort known as the International Lunar Research Station, which aims to build a permanent base at the Moon’s south pole by 2035. China has also expressed its intention to create a timekeeping and navigation system for the Moon. The plan is to establish a time zone for the Moon and develop a coordinated lunar Internet and communication capability by 2028, Goswami notes.
Researchers have proposed several roadmaps to develop a satellite constellation for the Moon similar to BeiDou (the Chinese navigation satellite system) that would play a key role in positioning, navigation and timing in the space between Earth. and the lunar orbit. In June, a team from the Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering in Beijing proposed launching a network of 21 satellites around the Moon to provide real-time, high-precision navigation to support China’s lunar ambitions. The satellites, characterized by a sustainable and economic design, will be deployed in three phases and four types of orbits, according to the article published in the magazine Chinese Space Science and Technology.
Current panorama and perspectives for the future
Currently the Moon does not have a unified time system: each mission uses its own time scale linked to Earth’s Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). While this method has worked for independent missions, it becomes problematic when multiple spacecraft must collaborate. Additionally, the clocks on Earth and the Moon have different speeds due to the difference in gravitational fields. A minimal difference, but it affects timing, whose precision is essential for synchronization in space missions. The adoption of Greenwich Mean Time as a global standard is an excellent example of how enforcing one’s own temporal standard is a symbol of power. The decision in 1884 to pass the prime meridian through the site of the Royal Greenwich Observatory was not only a matter of convenience but also a reflection of Britain’s dominant position in navigation, trade and science at that time. moment.
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