Author: Yuthi Mani. This article explores the intriguing topic of Space Reproduction.
“Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by destroying the Earth,” wrote Albert Schweitzer.
Originally brushed off as an outlandish and irrelevant thought, his words have now proven their true power and relations to humankind. With our planet crumbling faster than ever due to a multitude of issues (including deforestation and climate change), the idea of finding a new home also advances in popularity with these plaguing issues. Hence, as space colonization—namely, living on astronomical bodies like Mars and more— becomes more prevalent in our everyday lives, noteworthy topics like the sustainability of our human race in extraplanetary colonies raise considerable concerns about space reproduction.
While a myriad of scientific phenomena, including isolation and microgravity, exacerbate female and male reproductive health in space, space radiation poses a substantial obstacle with its invisible yet hazardous properties and increased dangers to female reproduction. Space radiation, or cosmic radiation, originates from charged particles from space (gamma and x-rays) that are full of energy. More specifically, as atoms travel through interstellar space, the electrons present are left behind, resulting in countless nuclei that possess energy enough to intensely damage astronauts who encounter it without protection.
Stars, supernova explosions, black holes, and other astronomical bodies are the main producers of this ionized radiation. Furthermore, certain areas in space experience increased radiation than others, one of these locations being the Van Allen Belt, which astronauts must pass through this location to reach the larger part of outer space. Such issues are combatted by swiftly traveling through higher radiated areas or following similar trajectories that avoid these areas. Regardless of the amount, one of the most impacted bodily functions when in contact with space ionizing radiation is the female reproductive system, relevant to space reproduction.
Profound research has determined that follicle depletion due to space radiation appears as the most extensive concern to human reproduction in extraplanetary environments. In more colloquial terms, ionizing radiation nips reproduction at its bud by diminishing the chances of a zygote or embryo ever forming, even causing infertility in some female astronauts, which poses a significant barrier to space reproduction. Primordial follicles contain oocytes or an immature egg and granulosa cells. However, at 5cGy (1/8th of the radiation received in a space mission to Mars) female astronauts are susceptible to loose half their ovarian reserve.
The decrease in ovarian reserve stems from the highly sensitive nature of hippocampal tissue and oocytes, which are prone to cell apoptosis (programmed cell death, causing the cell to burst) in the face of ionizing radiation. Furthermore, a full trip to Mars likely signifies a 99% loss of their ovarian follicle reserve, making it harder to become pregnant and, in many cases, denoting infertility. The draining of ovarian follicles ultimately indicates reduced reproductive possibilities or rates, lowering the chances of producing offspring, and directly impacting space reproduction.
Additionally, ovarian tumors, ovarian failures, genetic altercations in the ovaries, ovarian cancers, and more also stem from the lack of ovarian follicles in the reproductive system, further diminishing reproductive capabilities. Space radiation also widely influences hormone levels in female astronauts. While hormonal differences cause many repercussions throughout a woman’s body, some of the most affected hormones include follicle-stimulating hormones and luteinizing hormones, which directly correlate to reproductive functions and pose challenges for space reproduction. They both stimulate the creation of products necessary to continue or start the process of creating offspring. These hormones also change the levels of follicles and the rates at which follicles release eggs. Hence, a change in certain hormones holds the power to drastically alter reproductive rates or even possibilities.
On a larger scale, the vagina and uterus are also extremely susceptible to ionizing radiation damage which complicates space reproduction. These organs sustain embryo development and are integral to discussing radiosensitivity in the context of space reproduction. Specifically, radiation can cause the diminishing of the vagina’s mucosal layer, causing dryness, intense (stinging) pain, dyspareunia, and the shortening/narrowing of the vagina.
In the uterus, size and shape transformations are also vastly prevalent with radiation exposure. With these organ-specific changes, women may face complications with their pregnancy, including low birth weight, premature babies, and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Although it may appear that the prospects for space reproduction have been significantly diminished, the idea of reproduction in space is still very much a viable consideration. Incredibly, certain animal species, like the Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes), have successfully mated and reproduced in extraplanetary environments.
As companies like SpaceBorn United and more work on increasing research in space reproduction and more, valuable answers are likely underway. With Earth’s current perishing state, determining solutions presumably isn’t an option anymore—they’re a necessity for our existence.
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