Pregnancy and Birth in Space: Scientific Hypotheses and Challenges for the Future The question of the possibility of pregnancy, carrying, and childbirth in space flight conditions has long remained on the periphery of academic science, in the realm of science fiction. However, with the emergence of plans for long-term exploration of the Moon and Mars, this topic has moved into the category of practical and even urgent scientific tasks. Its consideration requires a comprehensive approach, covering physiology, radiobiology, ethics, and space engineering. Physiological Barriers: From Conception to Development The process of reproduction in space can be divided into key stages, each facing unique challenges. 1. Conception in microgravity. Experiments on Earth and in space (on fish, amphibians, birds, and rodents) have shown that fertilization is possible. However, mammalian sperm in weightlessness demonstrate increased mobility, which is not equal to efficiency. A more serious problem is the difficulties with intimacy in closed spaces, stress, and the lack of privacy on a spacecraft, which turns the issue from biological to socio-psychological. 2. Implantation and early embryo development. This is the most critical and least studied stage. On Earth, gravity plays a role in the orientation of cells and tissues during division (a phenomenon known as gravitational biology). Experiments with mouse and rat embryos conducted on biosatellites have yielded contradictory results: in some cases, development stopped at the earliest stages, in others, it continued but with anomalies. There is no data confirming successful implantation and blastocyst formation in space flight conditions in mammals. 3. Formation of the skeleton and vestibular apparatus. In weightlessness, demineralization of bones and muscle atrophy occur in adults. For a developing fetus, this may have catastrophic consequences: improper development of the skeleton, skull, and, especially important, the vestibular s ... Read more