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Scientists Took Semen Onto A "Vomit Comet" Flight, And The Results Were Concerning (www.iflscience.com)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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"Exposure to short duration gravity load changes including microgravity, as sustained in a parabolic flight statistically significantly decreases the sperm motility and vitality of human fresh sperm samples," the team found, adding that this may have huge importance for any prolonged human settlement missions in space.

"In the future, should humans remain in space for long periods of time with exposure to different microgravity and hypergravity peaks, which could range from months to a number of years, reproduction may pose a problem to be tackled."

The mechanism by which sperm motility was decreased remains unknown, with further study needed.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 months ago (3 children)

comparing an existing sample exposed to small doses of micro-gravity seems incredibly... useless.. compared to sperm generated in space. how can they even begin to use it to make generalizations on 'long term human space colonization'?

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[–] [email protected] 80 points 6 months ago (9 children)

A few seconds of microgravity? Something sounds off, that would probably be enough to be seen in parachutists and fighter pilots. I think I'm going to wait for the peer review on this one...

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

Jokes on you, that’s my kink

[–] [email protected] 37 points 6 months ago (6 children)

I find it very hard to believe this hasn't been tested on the ISS.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It's about the changes in microgravity, extreme G and light. Pure guess, but it's perhaps testing for travel as much as inhabitant.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Called it

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Literally (fiction) speaking, I've randomly gambled on ~10 generations max before the population crashes if a generation ship arrives and fails to complete an O'Neill cylinder on the other side.