China Is Over The Moon With Its New Lunar Timekeeping System
Jalopnik • • science
Key Points:
- China has developed and publicly released LTE440, a lunar timekeeping software that maintains synchronization with Earth time to within tens of nanoseconds over 1,000 years, marking a significant advancement in lunar mission technology.
- The software, created by researchers at China's Purple Mountain Observatory, addresses the need for precise lunar timekeeping due to the moon's lower gravity causing clocks to run faster than on Earth, a factor critical for future long-duration missions and navigation.
- Although NASA is working on its own Coordinated Lunar Time standard, China's system is currently the first publicly available, highlighting China's leading position in the new race to establish lunar infrastructure.
- Accurate lunar timekeeping is essential for future GPS-like navigation systems on the moon, enabling precision landings and coordination
