A Small Step for Space Reproduction: Dutch Startup Validates IVF System in Orbit
Date: April 22, 2025
Humanity has taken a tentative first step toward the science-fiction vision of procreation beyond Earth. On April 21, 2025, a shoebox-sized mini-lab, developed by Dutch startup SpaceBorn United, hitched a ride to the edge of space aboard SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 mission from Kennedy Space Center.
This modest payload carried a landmark experiment: the first-ever in-orbit test of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) support system specifically engineered for space. While the cargo contained only yeast cells—not human reproductive cells—the mission marked a milestone in systematically addressing the challenge of human reproduction off-world.
After a roughly 30-minute suborbital flight, the capsule re-entered the atmosphere, and the yeast cells did not survive the intense journey. Nevertheless, SpaceBorn United's founder and CEO, Egbert Edelbroek, declared success. Data from onboard sensors confirmed that the system's life support—maintaining precise temperature, pressure, and culture conditions—functioned flawlessly throughout the flight, validating the core technology.
Founded in 2017, SpaceBorn United's work centers on its ARTIS (Assisted Reproductive Technology in Space) system. It uses a rotating disc to create artificial gravity, allowing researchers to study how different gravity levels affect embryo development—critical data for future lunar or Martian settlements that is currently lacking.
The company's roadmap is ambitious: mouse embryo experiments targeted for 2026 using an Indian Skyroot rocket, progressing to human stem cell-derived embryos by 2027, and aiming for human egg fertilization and cryopreservation in space by 2028. Their near-term business model, however, focuses not on delivering "space babies" but on leveraging the unique space environment. The goal is to collect data on how microgravity and radiation trigger specific stress proteins in developing cells, potentially leading to improved success rates for Earth's $180 billion IVF industry, which has seen stagnant progress for a decade.
The path forward is fraught with immense hurdles. Scientific studies paint a challenging picture: microgravity and cosmic radiation may harm sperm and egg quality, disrupt early embryo development, and hinder uterine preparation for implantation. Furthermore, ethical and regulatory frameworks are virtually non-existent for such research in space. Complicating matters is the rise of commercial space tourism, which raises the possibility of unplanned pregnancies in space.
Despite the significant scientific, ethical, and financial challenges, the brief flight of this yeast-filled lab represents a symbolic turning point. It signals the beginning of a deliberate, systematic effort to answer a fundamental question for our multi-planet future: How will we reproduce? SpaceBorn United's planned 2026 mouse embryo experiment will be the next critical test on this uncharted frontier.
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https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/dutch-brea...
https://www.spacebornunited.com/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4152...
https://www.e-jarb.org/journal/view.h...
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