NASA send human sperm to space on Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 | Daily Star

NASA sends human SPERM into space for first time – here’s why

HUMAN sperm has been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time as NASA tries to find out if humans could ever conceive in space.

The sperm – carried to the station on Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 – will be the subject of a number of experiments to see how space and low gravity affect male sex cells.

Astronauts onboard the ISS will thaw the frozen sperm to see if sex in space would lead to successful reproduction.

The scientific study is part of NASA’s Micro-11 mission, which contains samples of frozen human and bull sperm.

Once the Falcon 9's Dragon resupply capsule has completed the first stage of the journey and has docked, research will begin on the samples.

NASA hopes to understand how micro-gravity affects the swimming of sperm and how well they move in space.

nasa sperm space iss Getty

SPACE BABY? NASA is hoping to see if conception in space is possible

In a statement, the agency said: “Little is currently known about the biology of reproduction in space, and this experiment will begin to address that gap by measuring, for the first time, how well bull and human sperm functions in space.”

Successful fertilisation of a human egg depends on several factors and is broken down into two stages. 

The sperm cell must be activated and then change slightly as it swims towards an egg to fertilise it.

In preparation for fusing with the egg, it must move faster and its cell membrane must become more fluid.

nasa send sperm space NASA

TEST: Astronauts watch the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft arrive, carrying a cargo of frozen sperm

“Little is currently known about the biology of reproduction in space”


In previous experiments with urchin and bull sperm, activation happens quicker in microgravity, but the steps that lead up to successful fusing are very delayed or simply do not happen at all.

“Delays or problems at this stage could prevent fertilisation from happening in space,” Nasa warned.

It has also sent bull sperm to the station to use as a comparison.

After thawing and activating the sperm samples, researchers will use video to assess how well the sperm move in the adverse conditions of space.

falcon heavy takeoff PA

LAUNCH: The rocket blasts off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force base in Florida (SpaceX)

Changes in the bull semen will allow researchers to detect subtle differences in sperm from both species.

After being studied on the ISS, the samples will be mixed with preservatives and returned to Earth.

Here, it will be determined if fusion occurred and whether the space sperm is any different to regular Earth sperm.  

Nasa added: “We don't know yet how long-duration spaceflight affects human reproductive health, and this investigation would be the first step in understanding the potential viability of reproduction in reduced-gravity conditions.”