Link to the science paper in Communications Biology

Scientists tested how human sperm behave in microgravity by placing them in a chamber that mimics the female reproductive tract. They found that in low-gravity conditions, sperm had trouble navigating and were more likely to lose direction compared to normal conditions on Earth. This reduced their ability to reach an egg. Experiments with mouse eggs showed a similar effect: fertilization rates dropped by about 30 percent over four hours in microgravity.

These findings, published in *Communications Biology*, are important as space agencies plan long-term missions to the Moon and Mars, where humans may eventually want to reproduce. The study suggests that microgravity could make natural fertilization more difficult, raising challenges for future space travel.

Researchers also tested progesterone, a hormone released by cells surrounding the egg that normally helps guide sperm. In the experiment, adding progesterone improved the sperm’s ability to orient themselves even in microgravity. However, this effect only occurred at much higher levels than are naturally found in the body, meaning it is not yet a practical solution.

by Busy_Yesterday9455

24 Comments

  1. It was probably just carrying a Y chromosome, so it refused to stop and ask for directions

    Edit: more scientifically accurate phrasing of joke

  2. > placing them in a chamber that mimics the female reproductive tract

    Most professional way to say you gave an astronaut a fleshlite

  3. ExtrapolatedData on

    But what we really want to know is…if you nut in space, does it push you backward?

  4. In theory if we could colonize the moon and mars wouldn’t it be easier to just lab grow children? Like why would you want natural conception when you can avoid all the unpleasant experiences?

  5. Panspermia people. This is how life started in the universe. Ancient aliens gooning in space 

  6. Oh okay well, in order to make science happen I think I have to test the effects of space on me doing nothing and just chill out in space. These important and totally not bullshit reasons to do this will be published as someday humans will eventually want to fuck off and do nothing in space.

  7. The world is collapsing and we’re wasting money to study sperm motility in outer space. Wtf. Well I guess it’s because the world is indeed collapsing

  8. I’ve seen this experiment in the start of a movie.

    Fun fact, my parents rented it because it sounded innocuous enough, I mean “Look who’s talking” with a cute baby on the front, sounds like a kids movie to me.

  9. Historical-Edge-9332 on

    Well now someone is gonna write fan fiction about the astronaut who gets pregnant in space while her husband is at home. He thinks she cheated with the male astronaut she was stationed with. Turns out it was space splooge.

  10. Pretzel-Kingg on

    Am I understanding that zero gravity is a contraceptive albeit a poorly effective one lol

  11. If we ever were making generational ships we’d need simulated gravity areas anyway so they would just be play rooms too

  12. Special-Performance8 on

    A small fap for men.. A giant leap for mankind.

    ![gif](giphy|l4cs8eGd9JtIuEjf7T)