Chinese scientists have developed the world's first program for high-precision timekeeping on the lunar surface, fully synchronizing it with Earth time. According to the Chinese newspaper South China Morning Post, this technology will enable a more precise navigation system on the Moon amid the accelerating global space race. It is worth noting that time passes slightly differently on the Moon than on Earth due to weaker gravity, with a difference of about 56 millionths of a second per day. Although this difference is considered small, it accumulates over time, making reliance on Earth time less reliable for lunar operations. To address this issue, a team of researchers from the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing developed a model that accounts for the Moon's weak gravity and its motion in space, aiming to synchronize events on its surface with clocks used on Earth. The newspaper reports that Chinese experts have transformed this model into a ready-to-use program, allowing users to compare lunar and Earth time in one step, instead of relying on complex calculations. Developers explained that their goal is to simplify precise lunar time measurement, especially as the pace of lunar missions increases. Scientists have named the new program "LTE440" (Lunar Time Ephemeris 440). Previously, due to the scarcity of lunar missions, engineers relied on Earth time, making special adjustments for each mission when needed. However, it is expected that in the future, an increasing number of spacecraft and humans will operate on the Moon, making an independent and precise timekeeping system essential.
