It is time to pay serious attention to reproduction in space

Various space experiments and researches have been done so far, but an important issue has still been largely neglected. Now that the human species is seriously considering extraterrestrial habitat, is it not time for a full-fledged study of reproduction in space? How people can reproduce in space. But why does it matter?

Powerful figures in the space industry such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos dream of a future in which millions of people live in space, and Naturally, this large population must be independent of something other than Earth. "We are actively planning missions and building rockets to reach the moon and Mars," he said. "Reproduction will almost certainly be linked to a three-year mission to Mars, and we do not want to accidentally discover serious adverse effects." Scientists have been sending experiments to the International space Station in recent years to Answer a variety of questions about what may be needed for mammals and eventually humans to reproduce in space.

A study published in June 2021 found that freeze-dried sperm from mice Sent to the International space Station are not affected by the low-Earth orbit and, upon return, give birth to healthy babies.

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An earlier experiment by Russia sent male and female mice into orbit, allowing them to reproduce. In this experiment, two female mice became pregnant, but neither of them gave birth to a living creature. What is needed from the earth, more in-depth studies should be done. Some scientists even believe that there has not been enough attention to budget and advance such work.

So far, space activities have focused on the technology needed to orbit, support life, and budget. It has been to explore the depths of space. As Virginia Wotring, a professor at the International space University, put it: "There has always been a bigger problem to solve."

) Is well understood, but we are still hardly familiar with the consequences of these risks on fertilization, pregnancy, birth and growth. "This is true of all species, but especially of mammals, and even more so of humans." Women have historically been less common among astronauts, and this in turn is a study of how Makes important reproductive functions, such as pregnancy control, menstruation and ovulation, more difficult.

A baby in a space suit
Credit: BBC/Daily Express

Now the big question is, what are the main factors that can limit the birth of healthy babies in space? Or how they affect it, what are they?

Even space station experiments have been very limited. Sperm and embryos of mice on the International space Station have not been affected by the radiation environment, but as humans move to more distant destinations such as Mars, the situation may change as the radiation environment worsens. Gravity can also. The physical arrangement of the cells is involved in the fetus. Researchers are currently conducting experimental analysis at the space station, where astronauts cultured frozen mouse embryos to see if they needed gravity to grow. "Mammals are sensitive to stress and this makes mating difficult even on Earth," said Teruhiko Wakayama, who studies reproduction in space. On these issues, according to Strongman, ethical issues surrounding the study of human reproduction also limit space experiments in this area. But some of the studies proposed for this year and the years to come may help answer important questions about reproduction in space.

Wakayama and his research team hope to be able to freeze-dried sperm in the years to come. Send to the Lunar Gateway to gauge their behavior in the face of a more radioactive environment. The moon gate is a planned base or It is the lunar orbiting station that orbits the moon during the Artemis Program. Send nematodes on an interstellar voyage to study their behavior, including how they reproduce far away from Earth. National Geographic/Illustration By Robert Murray/Mars Society

Source: Axios