Many space agencies and private space companies are preparing missions for human settlements on the Moon and Mars. SpaceBorn United researches the field of human reproduction in space to help enable the conditions that will, one day, make such settlements independent. Here, its CEO, Dr Egbert Edelbroek, describes its missions, ethos and plans for conception and childbirth in space in an article based on his talk at the Asgardia Space Science & Investment Congress (ASIC) in Darmstadt, Germany, in October.
Government agencies and companies alike find space life science challenges difficult to address, especially when they concern human reproduction in space. The subject is a delicate one and is often seen as controversial by taxpayers and other observers. But steps need to be taken in order to make the ambitions for independent settlements feasible. Becoming a multi-planetary species clearly requires learning how to reproduce in space. Thus space agencies acknowledge the need for this research and explicitly encourage independent, focused companies to address this challenge. SpaceBorn United has embraced it and the company translates the outcomes of its research into mission designs and biomedical equipment required for those missions.
