Human Colonization on Mars Possible by Sperm Bank Set Up in Space

Scientists have suggested that the colonization of Mars could be made easier as their new research finds sperm could survive zero gravity conditions.
The study was presented on Sunday at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual meeting in Vienna, Austria.
Findings from the small preliminary study, involving sperm from 10 healthy donors, suggest that “the possibility of creating a human sperm bank outside of Earth” exists, according to the researchers.
The samples were then analyzed for concentration, motility and DNA fragmentation  tests which are all performed to check for fertility.
Frozen samples exposed to micro-gravity conditions and those kept on the ground appear to retain similar characteristics, according to the results of a small preliminary study.
The findings suggest frozen sperm could be transported to space and “open the possibility of creating a human sperm bank outside of Earth”, the researchers said.
In 2017, British astronaut Helen Sharman told a conference an unreleased report by NASA had researched the sexual desires of its crew members.
“It found that the crew should be the same gender — all men or all women,” she told the New Scientist Live conference.
The report is said to have found same-sex crews were the most effective because of better cohesion, and an all-women crew was preferred due to their “superior” cooperation skills.

However, further work is needed to fully understand the effect of space conditions. The researchers said little is known about the effect of different levels of gravity on sperm.
Dr. Montserrat Boada, from Dexeus Women’s Health in Barcelona, said: “Some studies suggest a significant decrease in the motility of human fresh sperm sample.
“But nothing has been reported on the possible effects of gravitational differences on frozen human gametes, in which state they could be transported from Earth to space.”
>Juthy Saha