Is Non-Terrestrial Birth in Moon or Mars Possible? First Baby Born in Space Still a Conundrum

The first step toward human exploration of the cosmos is simple: we must find out how to bring humans to Mars and beyond.

Scott Solomon, an evolutionary scientist, is unconcerned about how humans intend to explore the cosmos. Instead, Futurism said he's concentrating on what could happen to our species once we've established ourselves in our new off-world homes. His unexpected conclusion: potential human colonists may not even be humans.

"Eventually," he recently told Business Insider, "people living in space could evolve to be different enough from people on Earth that we would consider them to be different species."

Players in Space

Space began as a duopoly, with the US and the Soviet Union competing for dominance in a strategic competition with strong military overtones. However, after the moon landings in 1969, NASA's budget has been cut by a factor of three. Russia is no longer a global economic force, and its space program is a pale shadow of the one that put the first satellite and human into orbit.

China is the latest kid on the block. After a sluggish start, China's space program is gaining traction, fuelled by a budget that has recently outpaced the country's economy. China is constructing a space station, has landed probes on the moon and Mars, and is considering establishing a moon base. China will soon be the dominant space force if it continues on its current path.

Private space companies that sell space for tourism and leisure, on the other hand, are making the most exciting strides. Elon Musk's ambition for SpaceX is to transport 100 people to the moon, Mars, and beyond at a time, but he avoids providing a timeline in public presentations. Blue Origins, Jeff Bezos' company, also wants to colonize the solar system. Such grandiose ideas are met with skepticism, but keep in mind that these are the world's two wealthiest citizens.

Governments will continue to launch rockets. But it's fair to assume that the future of private space travel arrived in 2016 when commercial launches outnumbered all of the world's launches combined for the first time.

Staying in Mars

The journey to Mars is about 1,000 times longer for a spaceship than the journey to the moon, NASA said. So the moon will be humanity's first home away from home.

ArsTechnica said between 2036 and 2045, China and Russia intend to build a long-term facility at the moon's south pole. NASA expects to land "boots on the surface" in 2024 and build the Artemis Base Camp, a permanent colony on the moon, within another decade. Science Times previously said NASA has plans to launch a lunar space station named Gateway in 2024 as part of the Artemis program. For this and future lunar programs, NASA is collaborating with SpaceX. The lunar station would make it possible for SpaceX to resupply the future lunar colony.

After the moon, there will be Mars, and the cooperation between SpaceX and NASA is speeding up the process. NASA's intentions are well-intentioned, but no timetable has been given. On the other hand, Elon Musk has stated unequivocally that he plans to establish a colony on Mars by the year 2050. Humanity's effort to colonize the moon may provide insight into the difficulties we will encounter on Mars.

Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 17, 2020

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Reproducing Humanity in Space

The Conversation said to truly be free of Earth, a civilization's population must expand, which necessitates children's birth. Living on the moon or Mars would be difficult and exhausting. So the first settlers will most likely only stay for a few years at a time and will not be able to establish a family.

However, there are still a lot of unknowns until people decide to live permanently off-planet. For starters, no study has been done on the biology of pregnancy and reproductive health in low-gravity environments like the moon or Mars. The fetus or mother will likely face unforeseen dangers. Second, babies are delicate, and they are difficult to raise. To allow for some kind of normal family life, the infrastructure of these bases will have to be sophisticated, a process that would take decades.

With all of these unknowns, it appears that the first off-Earth baby will be born far closer to home. SpaceLife Origin, a Dutch startup, wants to send a heavily pregnant woman 250 miles into space just long enough to give birth. They tell a compelling tale, but the legal, medical, and ethical challenges they face are daunting. Science Times previously said that Orbital Assembly Corporation plans to open the Voyager Station, a luxury hotel in orbit, in 2027. According to current plans, it will accommodate 280 guests and 112 crew members, and its spinning-wheel nature would provide artificial gravity. However, the fast-paced news stories make no mention of the project's complexity or expense.

However, NASA revealed last month that it is considering allowing a sitcom to send a civilian to the International Space Station for a 10-day filming mission. The plan could be expanded, with a wealthy couple booking a long-term stay in orbit for the entire pregnancy and birth period.

There is currently no proof that anyone has had sex in space. However, with approximately 600 people in Earth orbit-including one NASA couple who kept their marriage confidential per FiveThirtyEight-space historians could collect a wealth of Space Age scandals, says Chicago Tribune.