spacecraft clock time
- noun
- Specialized
- All onboard experiments are scheduled according to spacecraft clock time.
Examples
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The data transmission was synchronized to the spacecraft clock time for accuracy.
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Engineers referenced the spacecraft clock time to determine when the anomaly occurred.
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The spacecraft clock time is critical for mission success.
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Can you confirm the spacecraft clock time for the launch?
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All onboard experiments are scheduled according to spacecraft clock time.
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Engineers referenced the spacecraft clock time to determine when the anomaly occurred.
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The data transmission was synchronized to the spacecraft clock time for accuracy.
Synonyms
Time shown by a clock or watch, not how you feel it
A clock on a spacecraft that gives the time used to schedule its actions
Surface Forms
Morphology
spacecraft + clock + time
The meaning is directly compositional: 'spacecraft' (vehicle for space) + 'clock' (timekeeping device) + 'time' yields the time shown by a clock on a spacecraft. This follows ordinary English noun-compounding patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the three constituent words, even if the phrase is somewhat technical.
Etymology
Spacecraft clock time comes from the image of a clock inside a spacecraft that everyone on the mission uses, so it is the ship's own time for planning actions and keeping records. That's why it means the time shown by the onboard clock used to coordinate tasks.