Why it may be harder to conceive a baby in space - study

Study shows that gravity plays an important role in reproductive processes.

Details

Scientists modelled weightlessness conditions in the laboratory and checked how human and animal spermatozoa behave.

It turned out that in such conditions they do not lose the ability to move, but they are less orientated and less likely to reach the goal.

To check this, sperm were launched into a special "maze" simulating the female reproductive system. In weightlessness, significantly fewer cells were able to make the journey.

The researchers also found that adding the hormone progesterone partly helped the sperm navigate better.

In addition, in animal experiments, they found that weightlessness reduced fertilisation success - by about 30 per cent after a few hours of exposure.

With longer exposure, delays in the development of embryos were observed.

The authors emphasise that this is a laboratory model, not real space conditions.

Why it matters

The results of the study are important for future space missions and the possible settlement of other planets.

Scientists note:

• gravity affects the early stages of conception
• even with normal sperm motility can lose "navigation"
• there may be difficulties with embryo development

Researchers believe that in the future, special conditions or technologies may be needed for successful reproduction in space.

Background

With the development of space programmes, scientists are increasingly studying how weightlessness affects the human body, including reproductive processes.

Previous research has previously shown that microgravity affects cells and tissues, but the effects on conception remain poorly understood.

Source

The study is based on laboratory experiments with simulations of weightlessness, in which they studied human and animal sperm, as well as fertilisation in microgravity. The material is published in Communications Biology (2026).