For decades, the Moon’s subtle gravitational pull has posed a vexing challenge — atomic clocks on its surface would tick faster than those on Earth by about 56 microseconds per day. This extremely small difference doesn’t seem like much, but it could disrupt the precise timing needed for important activities like spacecraft landings and communicating with Earth.

Now, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a plan for precise timekeeping on the Moon, paving the way for a GPS-like navigation system for lunar exploration. The research, published in The Astronomical Journal, focuses on defining a theoretical framework and mathematical models necessary for creating a lunar coordinate time system.

This innovation is crucial for NASA’s ambitious Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and may be an important steppingstone for exploration of the cosmos.