Scientists from the University of Boulder, including Jun Ye, propose the installation of ultrastable lasers on the Moon, which are vital for time measurement and navigation systems that require exceptional precision. These lasers function by reflecting a beam between two mirrors in a cavity that maintains its size, avoiding expansion or contraction. To ensure the stability of the beam's length, the mirrors are kept in a vacuum at extremely low temperatures, isolated from external vibrations.

The Moon's poles host hundreds of craters that never receive direct sunlight due to the Moon's minimal axial tilt during its rotation. This results in these permanently shadowed regions being incredibly cold, with some craters predicted to reach temperatures around -253 °C (20 kelvins) during the lunar winter. The researchers believe that these cold conditions, paired with the absence of natural lunar vibrations and nearly non-existent atmosphere, provide an ideal setting for establishing a super laser, which could enhance our capabilities in precision measurement techniques.

Should the project proceed, the implications could be significant for various scientific advancements, including improvements in global positioning systems and fundamental physics research. By leveraging the Moon's stable environment for maintaining laser precision, it could offer new insights and technological developments that are unattainable on Earth. This proposal points to the Moon's potential as a platform for advanced scientific instruments that could enhance our understanding of space and time.