A team of Japanese scientists reported in the first study that mouse embryos grown on the International Space Station developed normally, showing that humans can reproduce in space. Researchers, including Teruhiko Wakayama, a professor at the Center for Advanced Biotechnology at Yamanashi University, and a team from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sent frozen mouse embryos aboard a rocket to the ISS in August 2021.

Using a special device designed for this purpose, the astronauts thawed the early embryos and grew them on the station for four days. According to the scientists, embryos cultured in microgravity often developed into blastocysts, cells that develop into fetuses and placentas.

In a study published online in the journal Science, researchers said the experiment “clearly shows that there is no significant effect of gravity.” iScience Saturday.

They also said that after analyzing blastocysts sent back to their laboratory on Earth, there was no significant change in the status of the DNA and genes. Yamanashi University and the Riken National Research Institute said in a joint statement on Saturday that this was “the first study to show that mammals can thrive in space.”

This is “the world’s first experiment to grow early-stage mammalian embryos in the microgravity of the International Space Station,” the statement said.

“In the future, it will be necessary to transplant blastocysts cultured in the microgravity conditions of the ISS into mice to see if the mice can give birth,” he added, to confirm that the blastocysts are normal.

Such research could be important for future space exploration and colonization missions. As part of the Artemis program, NASA plans to send humans back to the moon and learn how to live there long-term to help prepare for a trip to Mars in the late 2030s. Source