McClellan introduces bill to establish time standard for the moon

Virginia Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D-4th District) has introduced the first piece of legislation designed to establish a time standard for the moon and other celestial bodies. The Celestial Time Standardization Act would direct NASA create a coordinated lunar time.

Coordinated Universal Time is used to standardize and synchronize timing on Earth, but to someone on the moon, UTC would appear to lag by about 58 microseconds daily because of differences in gravity. The discrepancy can create significant challenges in terms of precision navigation, space situational awareness, scientific research, and other operations, according to officials.

The Celestial Time Standardization Act directs NASA, within two years, to submit a report to Congress describing its strategy for establishing celestial time standardization. The act, McClellan believes, would enhance interoperability in space exploration and further establish U.S. leadership on the international stage.

“We are entering a new era of United States space exploration and have an exciting opportunity to lead on standards that drive global competitiveness," McClellan said. "As we pursue increasingly complex activities on the Moon and beyond, the need for a celestial time standard will only continue to grow. This will enhance our ability to explore and expand our knowledge of the known universe.”