VOA科学技术2024--NASA Wants Faster Clock for Moon

NASA Wants Faster Clock for Moon

　　The American space agency NASA says it wants to come up with an out-of-this-world way to follow time on its own clock for the moon.

　　It would not be connected to the different time zones found on Earth. The moon clock would have an entirely¹ different time for the moon.

　　That is because there is less gravity on the moon. So, time moves a little bit quicker compared to Earth. It moves about 58.7 microseconds faster every day.

　　White House officials recently told NASA and other federal agencies to work with international agencies to come up with a time system for the moon.

　　Kevin Coggins is NASA's top communications and navigation official. He said, "An atomic clock on the moon will tick at a different rate than a clock on Earth."

　　The last time NASA sent astronauts to the moon, the astronauts wore watches. But back then, timing² was not important as it is now with computers, satellites, and communication systems, he said. And he added that those microseconds make a difference when high tech systems work together.

　　Last year, the European Space Agency said scientists needs to come up with a single time for the moon, where a day lasts 29.5 Earth days.

　　The International Space Station is in low Earth orbit. It will continue to use coordinated³ universal time, or UTC.

　　NASA must decide where the new space time starts. Even Earth's time speeds up and slows down, requiring a unit of time called leap seconds.

　　The U.S. government wants NASA to come up with a proposal for the time system by the end of this year. It hopes NASA will have a final plan by the end of 2026.

　　NASA is aiming to send astronauts around the moon in September of 2025 and land people on the moon one year later.

　　Words in This Story

　　navigation – n. the act, activity, or process of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane, or car

　　tick – v. to continue to work or function in a normal way

　　watch – n. a device that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist or carry in a pocket

1 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

2 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

3 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法