NASA now backs egg and sperm freezing after realising space could make astronauts infertile

Experiments on animals confirmed that space-related radiation and zero gravity can affect both male and female reproductive organs.

16:56 27 October 2014

NASA now offers egg and sperm freezing services following experiments confirming that radiation and zero gravity can negatively affect both male and female reproductive organs.

Currently, the US space agency is conducting studies to understand the mating activities of a group of mice on a board the International Space Station to determine how serious the problem is.

Dr Joseph Tash, of the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Kansas said: “We don’t really have the human data to really determine whether what we are seeing in the animals is translatable to humans. But we are seeing big impacts in the animals,” he said.

“And the animals still had a strong mating urge. So a male astronaut could come back without any change in behaviour but they may be shooting blanks and maybe they are unaware there is a problem if they are trying for a baby.

“It is a potential issue that needs to be looked at. Certainly the flight surgeons down at Johnson Space Centre suggest that the male astronauts cryopreserve semen and some female astronauts have elected to preserve eggs just in case it is a factor.”