Mars clocks run 477 microseconds faster than Earth’s; here is why future exploration must compensate for it

Billionaire Elon Musk has the ambition to set up a colony on Mars. According to Neil Ashby and Bijunath R. Patla, one of the things the colonizers have to deal with is the way they view time. The two physicists have published their findings showing that Earthly clocks, when taken to the Red Planet, run 477 microseconds faster.

Why Mars’ clocks run faster

Ashby and Patla discovered that the difference in time advancement is caused by Mars’ weaker gravity and its unique orbit. They back this with the general relativity theory, which implies that clocks will run faster in weaker gravitational fields.

The scientists, however, also account for the effects of Mars’ elliptical orbit and the gravitational pulls from other parts of the solar system. The combination of these factors makes time vary on the planet by as much as ±226 microseconds per day.

Why the difference matters for Mars missions

When planning exploration programs, navigation accuracy is crucial. Mission engineers also have to synchronize operations between Earth and the Red Planet. As such, exploration campaigns must compensate for the Martian clock lead when working out timing requirements.

To illustrate, 5G networks on Earth need to be accurate to one-tenth of a microsecond. When building out Mars-bound infrastructure, including autonomous rovers and GPS-style positioning networks, planners have to meet similar strict tolerances. The study points out that failing to account for the time difference could lead to critical operational errors.