Mice Return from Space and Successfully Give Birth: Insights into Reproductive Health

In a significant scientific advancement, the Center for Space Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has announced the success of a unique space experiment, where a female mouse has given birth to healthy offspring after returning from a mission aboard the Chinese space station.

Details of the Space Mission

Four mice were sent into space on October 31 aboard the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-21, where they lived in a specialized environment on the space station.

The mice returned to Earth on November 14, and one of the females gave birth to nine offspring on December 10, six of which survived and showed clear signs of good health and normal behavior.

Healthy Offspring and Natural Care

The researchers confirmed that the mother naturally cared for her young, while the pups exhibited notable vitality, indicating positive growth after exposure to the space environment.

Scientists: Space Had No Impact on Fertility

Wang Hongmei, a researcher at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that the experiment's results demonstrate that short-term space travel does not negatively affect the reproductive capabilities of mice.

She added that the data collected during the mission holds significant scientific value for understanding the effects of space on the early developmental stages of mammals.

Unexpected Challenges in Orbit

The mission faced unexpected difficulties when the return schedule of Shenzhou-20 was altered, leading to a temporary food shortage.

The scientific team managed the crisis by providing water and using soy milk as a temporary food substitute until the situation was fully stabilized.

Artificial Intelligence Monitors Life in Space

The researchers employed an advanced monitoring system supported by artificial intelligence to track the mice's behavior, as well as their sleep and feeding patterns in real-time, aiding the scientific teams in making quick and informed decisions during the mission.

A Unique Experiment in China

The Chinese University of Science confirmed that this mission represents the first comprehensive space experiment on mammals in the history of the Chinese space program, encompassing all phases from pre-launch preparation to orbital experimentation and subsequent sample recovery and analysis.

A Step Towards Broader Space Research

Scientists noted that this success paves the way for more extensive space experiments on mammals, focusing on tracking the growth of offspring post-birth and examining their reproductive capabilities in the future.

Researchers believe these studies could reveal the effects of space travel across generations for the first time, which is crucial for the future of long-term missions and space colonization.