Humans might not be able to start families in space

The dream of starting a family on Mars may have hit a major obstacle.

Scientists say humans may one day live beyond Earth, but actually having a baby in space may be much harder than expected.

A new study from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute suggests that microgravity interferes with the sperm’s ability to find the egg; This is a very important step in reproduction.

Researchers simulated zero-gravity conditions on Earth and found that sperm had trouble navigating, even though they swam just as fast and strong.

“We were able to show for the first time that gravity is an important factor in sperm’s ability to navigate a channel such as the reproductive tract,” said senior author Nicole McPherson.

He added: “We observed a significant reduction in the number of sperm that were able to successfully find their way through the chamber maze in microgravity conditions compared to normal gravity.”

In fact, the team noted a 30 percent drop in successful fertilization of mouse eggs after just four hours in the zero-gravity simulation.

Even more surprising, sperm movement itself was not affected.

Dr McPherson explained: “This suggests that the disorientation was not caused by a change in mobility but rather by other elements.”

Scientists also added progesterone, a hormone that helps direct sperm, but only very high levels made a difference.

Despite all the setbacks, researchers say it’s not all doom and gloom for future space colonies.

Dr McPherson said: “In our latest study, many healthy embryos were still able to form even if fertilized under these conditions.”

He added: “This gives us hope that one day reproduction in space may be possible.”

The findings, published in Communications Biology, highlight how much remains unknown when it comes to life beyond Earth.