Article written by Daniel Mackisack, Eu Space, European Space Agency, Global Europe, via https://www.euractiv.com on 11 May 2023
As the amount of hardware on and around the Moon increases, so does the need for coordination, writes Daniel Mackisack.
That problem has been a focus at the Open Lunar Foundation, a non-profit – chaired by former International Space Station commander, Colonel Chris Hadfield – that recently published a report laying out the different options.
Such a solution would involve deploying said source, either on the lunar surface or in orbit.
A slightly more sophisticated version of this system would involve a fleet of reference clocks deployed by a single operator in multiple lunar orbits and/or surface locations.
Yet, the need for some form of shared timekeeping, in order to coordinate activities and avoid accidents, is here now.