Time on the Moon and Earth is reportedly and unsurprisingly different from one another, with the Moon having a time slightly faster than on our home planet, as per scientists at NASA.
To put things in perspective, the Moon has only moved 1.1 seconds ahead of us since humans last landed on the Moon in 1972. According to Kevin Coggins, NASA's chief communications and navigation officer, an atomic clock on the Moon will tick faster than an Earth-based clock.
Millionths of a second may appear trivial, but the distinction is more critical than ever as NASA prepares to begin crewed trips to the Moon.
NASA intends to deploy people to the spacecraft by 2026 for its Artemis missions, which will investigate potential lunar base locations. NASA intends to utilize its extended presence on the Moon as a launchpad for expeditions to other parts of our Solar System, including Mars.
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Moon's Time Reference
Earlier this year, the Biden administration urged NASA and other federal organizations to develop a uniform lunar time reference system.
The Moon reportedly does not yet have its own time. Each lunar expedition follows its schedule, linked to coordinated universal time, also known as UTC, the norm against which the planet's clocks are calibrated.
However, this technique is flawed, as spacecraft researching the Moon do not synchronize their time. The method works well for a few solo missions on the Moon, but it gets troublesome when several ships operate together.
Space authorities will also want to follow them using satellite navigation, which requires accurate time signals.
It's unclear what shape a global lunar time would take. Clocks naturally tick at different speeds because of the differences in gravitational forces between Earth and the Moon. Official lunar time can be determined by a clock system that synchronizes with UTC or is distinct from Earth time.
Moon's Far-Side Missions
More and more moon discoveries continue to make headlines, resulting from efforts from the United States and China. Recently, China announced that a Chinese spacecraft arrived on the Moon's far side in early June to collect soil and rock samples from the less-explored region.
The landing occurred in the massive crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin. This marked the sixth Chang'e lunar search mission dedicated to the Chinese moon goddess. Following Chang'e 5, which retrieved samples from the closest side in 2020, this is the second mission to deliver samples to Earth.
China's lunar program demonstrates its growing space competitiveness with the United States, Japan, and India. It plans to place a human on the Moon by 2030. Notably, China regularly sends astronauts to its space station.
As previously stated, the United States plans to send humans to the Moon by 2026, following the Apollo 11 mission 1969. However, the private sector's spacecraft launches have been delayed.
Computer difficulties slowed Boeing's first human trip, while a Japanese billionaire postponed his lunar orbit plans owing to SpaceX's major rocket development uncertainties.
Over two days, China's lander will drill and use a mechanical arm to recover up to two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of lunar material. An ascender in a metal vacuum container will transport the samples to the orbiting module, which is expected to arrive in Inner Mongolia, China, on June 25.
Missions to the Moon's far side are challenging because they require a relay satellite to link directly to Earth. Landing is tough in uneven terrain.
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