What time is it on the moon?

With more lunar missions than ever on the horizon, the European Space Agency wants to give the moon its own time zone.

Dozens of lunar missions, including ones to build bases and other habitats on the moon, are planned for the decade ahead, the European Space Agency (ESA) has said. Space organisations around the world are considering how best to keep time on the moon. The idea came up during a meeting in the Netherlands in November 2022, with participants agreeing on the urgent need to establish “a common lunar reference time” For now, a moon mission runs on the time of the country that is operating the spacecraft. European space officials said an internationally accepted lunar time zone would make it easier for everyone, especially as more countries and even private companies aim for the moon and NASA gets set to send astronauts there. Beyond astronauts and ground controllers being able to tell the time on the moon, the need for standard time-keeping in space is also essential for guidance and navigation