According to Japanese biologists, defects in their microgravity embryos suggest that “fertilization can occur normally” in space, but standard Earth gravity may be needed for embryo development.
The experiment, published Tuesday in Public Library of Science ONE, is the latest addition to a surprisingly large body of literature on how the space environment affects the cellular basics of reproduction.
Among the animals that have been bred in space are frogs, salamanders, sea urchins — who didn’t do so well — and fish.