Humans want to travel all the way to the surface of the moon by 2025. After that, the surface of Mars will become a target with its own colony. But after 60 years of human space exploration, one question that still remains unanswered is the ability of humans to reproduce in space and colonize on planets other than Earth.
To answer this question, the company Spaceborn United from the Netherlands wants to conduct various scientific tests to see if humans can reproduce in space. This is a question that needs to be answered in order to allow the survival of the human species if the Earth is no longer fit to be a high place.
Attempting to breed in zero gravity has some big challenges. First of all is how to have sex. Second is the effect of the absence of gravity on the development of the human embryo. Next is the issue of radiation, the impact of zero gravity on the baby in the womb as well as the logistics of giving birth to the baby.
In the initial stages, Spaceborn will send mammalian animal embryos into space to see their development. This process itself is complex because the embryo is sensitive to the vibrations of the rocket and needs to be cryogenically frozen during the journey from earth to space.
Spaceborn has not yet set a target for when the first baby conceived and born in space will become a reality. They simply plan to launch five ARTIS Missions (Assisted Reproductive Technology In Space) between 2023 and 2028.