US and China race to define official lunar time
The US and China are gearing up for their next moon missions, but there's a new twist: they're competing to set the official lunar time.
NASA is working on Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) for its LunaNet satellites, while China's Chang'e Program has Queqiao relay satellites (basis of a lunar GPS system) and has announced its own timekeeping framework called LTE440.
Because clocks tick a bit faster on the moon (thanks to weaker gravity), getting the timing right is crucial. Otherwise, GPS and mission safety could be at risk.
China leads with Queqiao relay satellites
China has a slight lead with its Queqiao satellites and far-side landings, making it easier to develop a lunar GPS system.
Both countries are targeting the moon's south pole, where frozen water could power future rockets.
With so much riding on accurate timing (especially as they chase valuable resources), NIST and China's Purple Mountain Observatory might need to team up for a unified standard.