NASA plans a new time zone for Mars: why it is critical for colonization.

According to ТСН: Researchers are calling for abandoning the familiar earthly time standards, such as GMT or EST, and creating a new time zone specifically for Mars. The reason lies in the fundamental laws of physics: clocks on the Red Planet tick faster than on Earth, which may later harm communication and navigation systems.

Physicists from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that Martian clocks tick 477 microseconds faster daily than Earth clocks. Although this difference is minor, over long periods, Mars will advance ahead of Earth by 1.7 seconds every ten years.

This phenomenon is explained by Einstein's general theory of relativity, which states that time is not a constant in the Universe.

• Time moves slower where gravity is strong.

• Time moves faster where gravity is weak.

On Mars, gravity is about five times weaker than on Earth, so astronauts on the Red Planet will 'age' slightly faster than their relatives on Earth.

Not just theory: problems for colonization

Even such a small difference as one thousandth of a second for blinking can create serious issues for sensitive technologies. Researchers warn that errors in time measurement may negatively impact communication and navigation systems of future Martian colonies.

“Like modern global navigation systems such as GPS, these systems will depend on accurate clocks,” explains co-author of the study, Dr. Bijunath Patla, a physicist from NIST.

Calculating the impact of gravity on time on Mars is a complex task. Unlike Earth, Mars is influenced by the gravitational forces of other planets, particularly Jupiter and Saturn. Mars has a more oval (eccentric) orbit, causing changes in distance to the Sun and neighboring planets.

“The three-body problem is incredibly complex. Right now, we are dealing with four: the Sun, Earth, Moon, and Mars... Its distance from the Sun and eccentric orbit lead to increasing fluctuations in time,” noted Dr. Patla.

This leads to the situation where over one Martian year, the gravity of neighboring bodies can change the course of Martian clocks by a whole 226 microseconds per day. By comparison, clocks on the Moon tick 56 microseconds per day faster than Earth clocks.

Navigation of the future requires accuracy

Although Martian clocks will take over 344 years to advance ahead of Earth clocks by just one minute, for modern communication and navigation systems, such as GPS or 5G, this difference is critically important.

“It is useful to explore issues related to the development of navigation systems on other planets and moons right now, even if it may be many years before the first Martian colonies are established,” concluded Dr. Patla.

He also emphasized the importance of unifying time standards for interplanetary communication. Given the potential travels to Mars in the future, developing precise navigation systems will become extremely relevant, as they will play a key role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of colonization missions.