This is referred to in mission planning as Hybrid Local Solar Time (HLST). The time scales are uniform in the sense of mean solar time (they are actually mean time of some longitude), and are not adjusted as the rovers travel. (The rovers have traveled distances that make a few seconds difference to local solar time.)
Answer: An independent variable is exactly what it sounds like. It is a variable that stands alone and isn't changed by the other variables you are trying to measure. For example, someone's age might be an independent variable.
Dependent and independent variables. For dependent and independent random variables, see Independence (probability theory). In mathematical modelling and statistical modelling, there are dependent and independent variables. The models investigate how the former depend on the latter. The dependent variables represent the output or outcome whose variation is being studied. The independent variables represent inputs or causes, i.e. potential reasons for variation.