Space babies: Humans may have healthy offspring in orbit, says study

Many of these studies have been based on IVF using sperm and eggs in orbit

When we think about the difficulties of colonising another planet, the last thing we probably worry about about is sex. However, for our species to survive beyond Earth it’s a fundamental issue. While no astronauts have admitted having sex in space, plenty of reproduction has been going on.

This is because a range of animals from fruit flies to fish – as well as their eggs, sperm and embryos – have been sent into space so we can study how they reproduce. While these studies indicate that the first stages of reproduction in space are