Healthy mice born from reproductive cells frozen in space

Scientists from Kyoto University in Japan have successfully produced healthy offspring from mouse reproductive cells that were frozen and stored on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months. This discovery offers hope that healthy future generations could be possible in space.

The creation of these so-called "space mouse pups" by researchers inspires optimism for humanity's future plans to explore the universe.

With the rise of space tourism and exploration of planets like Mars, many expect that humans will spend much more time away from Earth in the coming years. However, these missions may be limited or even canceled due to the dangerous effects of spaceflight on the human body, such as muscle atrophy and bone density loss.

Another long-standing concern for those hoping to undertake long-term space missions is whether spaceflight might limit our ability to have healthy children. That's why it's important to study how space affects germ cells — the cells that become sperm and eggs. Any damage to these cells could cause irreversible issues for future generations.

Previous research had shown that abnormalities could appear when these cells are exposed to space conditions, but scientists still don't fully understand how that happens.

In trying to solve this problem, the new study has created a new kind of animal: space mouse pups.