White House directs Nasa to create time standard for the moon

Under its Artemis program, Nasa is aiming to send astronaut missions to the moon in the coming years and establish a scientific lunar base

A full moon above Cork skies. Picture: Chani Anderson

The White House on Tuesday directed Nasa to establish a unified standard of time for the moon and other celestial bodies, as the United States aims to set international norms in space amid a growing lunar race among nations and private companies.

The head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), according to a memo seen by Reuters, instructed the space agency to work with other parts of the U.S. government to devise a plan by the end of 2026 for setting what it called a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).