Lunar Timekeeping
Project Contributors: Philip Linden, Ashley KosakWorking to explore establishing lunar time standardization for enhanced space navigation and mission coordination.
Open Lunar Impact
This research enables a vision for establishing a lunar time standard to improve navigation and coordination among actors.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The research aimed to explore the establishment of a lunar time standard that could support more effective navigation and coordination in space.
ABOUT THE NEED
The establishment of a local Lunar time standard or a shared and openly accessible reference timing signal can greatly enhance the positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities of Lunar missions without the need for direct links to Earth or precision instruments to be a requirement for every mission to the Moon.
ABOUT THE SOLUTION
This research proposes the concept of a local Lunar time standard that can be accessed using technology that is likely to be included in most Lunar missions for nominal activities. Even if the local Lunar time standard exhibits drift or variations from terrestrial time, its existence would be a significant step towards Lunar coordination.
Research White Paper, 2023
Brief, 2024
Research Showcase Video