For decades, lunar missions have operated in the time zones chosen by the nations that launched them. But that may be changing: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently asked NASA to establish a unified standard time for the moon and other celestial bodies by 2026. A universal timekeeping system will help streamline contact among the various countries and companies coordinating trips to the moon. “Imagine if the world wasn’t syncing their clocks to the same time—how disruptive that might be and how challenging everyday things become,” an OSTP official told Reuters. A universal lunar time will come in especially handy as more nations announce moon trips: In 2026, NASA plans to carry out its first astronaut lunar landing since the 1970s, and countries such as China, Japan, and India are all working on their own missions. Moon time, the OSTP noted in a memo, “will benefit all spacefaring nations.”