NASA to establish Moon's new time zone by 2026

NASA has announced plans to create a new lunar time system, Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC), by the end of 2026.

This initiative follows a White House directive and addresses time discrepancies caused by the Moon's weaker gravity, which can result in clocks gaining about 56 microseconds daily compared to Earth.

NASA will collaborate with various U.S. government agencies and international partners involved in the Artemis Accords, which promote norms for space exploration. The initiative will be led by NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program and aims to develop a time standard adaptable for other celestial bodies, such as Mars.

As part of its Artemis program, NASA plans crewed missions to the Moon, with Artemis 2 set for September 2025 and Artemis 3 targeting a lunar landing in 2026. The establishment of LTC is a crucial step for safe and precise operations in lunar exploration.