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30.06.2017
2017-06-30

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Marina Levicheva

If humanity is serious about the colonization of Mars, that is another question to be solved. What? Reproduction. That is, we need a thorough study, whether to have sex in space and how successful the reproductive point of view would be the process.

“At the moment we do not know enough about how human reproduction operates in space. This applies not only to a potential colony on Mars, but all the sex in zero gravity,” said Kris Lehnhardt (Kris Lehnhardt), associate Professor of emergency medicine the George Washington University (The George Washington University).

According to Lehnhardt, the question may not seem too relevant, but it is certainly important. “If we want to fully explore space and not just fly into space, but to live there, this becomes a key issue”, — the expert adds.

But extraterrestrial reproduction, as you may have time to think, is not taboo or ignored topic. Recently, a group of Japanese researchers said about the excellent reproductive qualities of mouse sperm, which is carried on the ISS for about 9 months. Subsequently, with her help, managed to get a perfectly healthy baby mice.

The results of this study indicate that even relatively high levels of radiation typical of the space, not create insurmountable obstacles for breeding. However, it is important to note that sperm were returned to the Earth for the production of embryos.

“How would it emerge and develop, the embryo away from the Earth in microgravity in orbit, in space or on Mars, whose surface gravity is 38% of the gravity of our planet still remains a mystery,” says Kris Lehnhardt. In the scientific community there is the assumption that people born on Mars will be very different from us. And all of this can be a turning point in the history of mankind.

• space
• reproductive technologies
• sex