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As Experts Debate Leap Seconds, Universal Time Tangle Grows in Importance

Sundials like this one at the Royal Museum at Greenwich, England, have given way to atomic clocks. But arguments about time remain. Credit: Royal Museum Greenwich

Time, the measurement that science still has difficulty explaining, has allowed everything from transatlantic exploration to space travel and now is the fabric that holds together financial institutions, supply chains and the internet. But if you counted down the closing seconds of 2023 with New Year’s revelers, you were almost certainly wrong.

Nation in Review: Japan

JAXA and NASA’s X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) was launched from Tanegashima Space Center on Sept. 6, 2023. This mission, which is capable of measuring the chemical composition of black holes, galaxy clusters and more, is one of Japan’s latest international collaborations. Credit: NASA

As the space economy continues to grow, Japan is capitalizing on new opportunities in the public and private sectors. Government budget increases, private industry investment, and international cooperation are contributing to the nation’s plans to double its space market in the coming decade.

Axiom-3 private mission brings new nation, science to the ISS

The Axiom-3 private mission launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Jan. 18, 2024, one day later than initially expected. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is scheduled to dock with the ISS as early as 9:19 a.m. UTC on Saturday.