While there have been several women astronauts since the start of human spaceflight in the 1960s, a pregnant woman has yet to go into space. However, that may change in the coming years as space agencies like NASA aim to send more diverse crews on longer-duration missions. For now, the honor of first pregnant astronaut in space remains up for grabs.
Quick Answers
– No pregnant woman has gone into space yet.
– Astronaut policies previously prohibited pregnant women from spaceflight due to health concerns.
– As more women become astronauts, space agencies are reconsidering pregnancy policies.
– NASA aims to send the first pregnant woman to space in the late 2020s or 2030s.
– Longer missions on the Moon and Mars may require astronauts to give birth in space.
Since the beginning of human spaceflight in 1961, over 60 women have traveled into space. Women like Valentina Tereshkova, Svetlana Savitskaya, Sally Ride, and many others have broken barriers and demonstrated that space is open to all of humanity. However, one milestone remains elusive: sending a pregnant woman into space.
For decades, space agencies prohibited pregnant astronauts from flying due to health concerns for the mother and developing fetus. Microgravity and radiation in space posed unknown risks. But as spaceflight opportunities expand in the coming decades, space programs are reconsidering this policy. NASA aims to send the first pregnant woman to space sometime in the late 2020s or 2030s.
Why send a pregnant woman to space in the first place? As NASA plans missions to the Moon and eventually Mars, longer flight durations require astronauts to live and work in space for years at a time. Future colonization efforts will need to involve families, including pregnant women and children. Understanding how human pregnancy and early development occur in microgravity opens the door for humans to become a multi-planetary species.
So who will become the first pregnant woman in space? When might this mission launch? And what are the health considerations for pregnant astronauts? This article will examine the history, future goals, and challenges of sending an expectant mother on a spaceflight.
History of Women in Space
Women first entered the astronaut profession in the 1960s, soon after the first human spaceflights. Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space when she flew aboard Vostok 6 in 1963. The United States selected its first female astronauts in 1978, including Sally Ride, who became the first American woman in space in 1983. As of 2022, over 60 women from various nations have flown into space.
However, policies prohibited pregnant and nursing women from spaceflight. NASA did not allow astronauts who were pregnant or within six months of giving birth to fly on the Space Shuttle, as the physiological effects of pregnancy and spaceflight were unknown. Russian policies also restricted pregnant cosmonauts. These rules effectively excluded women from early long-duration missions like Mir and the International Space Station.
Susan Kilrain was the first astronaut to become pregnant when she gave birth in 1993. She had applied to NASA’s astronaut program years earlier but was twice rejected because she had young children, showing NASA’s bias against motherhood at the time. This culture gradually shifted, and astronaut mothers like Anna Fisher and Shannon Walker flew on later Space Shuttle missions. But the pregnancy ban remained firmly in place.
Prominent Women Astronauts
Here are some notable “firsts” achieved by female space travelers over the decades:
- Valentina Tereshkova (USSR) – First woman in space (Vostok 6, 1963)
- Svetlana Savitskaya (USSR) – First woman to walk in space (Salyut 7 space station, 1984)
- Sally Ride (USA) – First American woman in space (Space Shuttle STS-7, 1983)
- Eileen Collins (USA) – First female Space Shuttle commander (STS-93, 1999)
- Peggy Whitson (USA) – First female commander of the International Space Station (Expeditions 16 and 51/52)
- Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy) – Longest single spaceflight by a woman (199 days on ISS, 2014-2015)
- Jessica Meir (USA) – Participated in first all-female spacewalk (2019)
These individuals directly contributed to normalizing women’s participation in spaceflight. Their achievements paved the way for the future first pregnant woman in space.
Changing Policies on Pregnancy
Historically, NASA and other space agencies enforced strict no-pregnancy policies for female astronauts. Even after achieving motherhood, women had to wait at least one year after giving birth to be eligible for spaceflight.
These precautions aimed to protect an unborn fetus from potential harmful effects of microgravity, increased radiation, and other stressors. However, as equal opportunity policies advanced on Earth, banning pregnancy came to be seen as discriminatory towards women in the astronaut corps.
In 2014, NASA updated its astronaut requirements to remove discriminatory language regarding gender and family status. The agency now states they will “continue to monitor the data and research in this area.” Essentially, NASA opened the door to considering pregnant astronauts on a case-by-case basis.
Private spaceflight companies have also influenced policy changes. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin aim to fly space tourists on short suborbital flights in the 2020s. When asked about flying pregnant passengers, the companies responded that they would evaluate individuals but not prohibit pregnancy outright.
As cultural attitudes shift, space agencies are reconsidering if blanket pregnancy bans are ethical or even feasible. For ambitious exploration goals like living on Mars, agencies need concrete plans for how to handle human reproduction off the Earth.
NASA Twins Study
In 2015-2016, NASA conducted an influential twins study on how spaceflight affects the human body. Astronaut Scott Kelly flew a nearly year-long mission on the ISS, while his twin brother Mark remained on Earth. By comparing the twins, researchers isolated the impacts of space on things like gene expression, cognition, the microbiome, and more.
One result clarified the risks of space radiation on reproductive health. Scott and Mark’s chromosome telomeres, which protect DNA during cell replication, lengthened while Scott was in space. Back on Earth, Scott’s telomeres mostly returned to normal but remained longer than Mark’s. These findings hinted at possible fertility or pregnancy implications.
While not conclusive, NASA’s landmark study demonstrated a need to better understand reproductive health in space. This fueled arguments for updated pregnancy policies.
Future Goals for Pregnant Astronauts
What’s driving policies to send pregnant astronauts into space? For NASA, the main goal is to enable long-duration deep space missions. The agency’s plans to establish a lunar base by 2028 and eventually send crews to Mars will require multi-year trips.
Spending years isolated from Earth is mentally taxing on astronauts. Allowing families and larger crews can counteract these challenges and make extended missions more feasible. Pregnancy will likely happen whether NASA plans for it or not, so being prepared is crucial.
Starting in 2024, NASA expects to launch a series of three planned Artemis missions to progressively longer lunar orbits. The Artemis II crew will spend over three weeks circling the Moon in 2026. Artemis III aims to land astronauts on the south pole of the Moon around 2028. These missions will help study the health effects of deep space on female astronauts and pave the way for an eventual pregnancy.
NASA also recently announced the Moon to Mars Initiative, which outlines plans for sustainable lunar exploration through the 2030s. A goal of this initiative is “enabling humans to give birth and raise the next generation of explorers on the Moon.” This strongly signals NASA’s intention to send pregnant women into deep space within the next 15 years.
Benefits of Pregnant Astronauts
Beyond enabling long-duration spaceflight, there are additional benefits to flying pregnant crew members:
- More diverse crews – Including pregnant women, families, people of diverse backgrounds and abilities can improve team dynamics on isolated missions.
- Supporting full career paths – Allowing astronauts to fly while pregnant removes barriers and supports women pursuing senior roles.
- Operational experience – Gaining experience with pregnancy in space will inform future mission planning and medical capabilities.
- Psychological boost – Birth and childhood development in space can uplift isolated crews and symbolize humanity’s future as a spacefaring species.
While substantial obstacles remain, the upsides make it imperative that space agencies push forward with their first pregnant astronaut missions.
Health Risks and Challenges
Enabling pregnancy in space comes with considerable health risks that must be addressed. Microgravity and radiation environments affect physiology in ways not fully understood. Space agencies will need to determine if these risks are acceptable and implement mitigations.
Effects of Microgravity
Microgravity causes several bodily changes relevant to pregnancy health, including:
- Fluid shifts – Body fluids like blood redistribute from legs to chest/head, which can affect pregnancy hormones and blood pressure.
- Bone density loss – Astronauts can lose up to 2% bone mass per month in microgravity which may impact fetal development.
- Muscle atrophy – Without gravity working against muscles, they can begin to waste away.
- Immune changes – Spaceflight alters cells in the immune system, which may increase vulnerability to illness.
These factors may negatively impact the mother’s health and ability to support fetal growth. How an embryo implants and develops within the uterus in weightlessness is also unknown.
Studies of pregnant rats in space reveal potential problems. Rat fetuses gestated on space shuttle flights showed slowed development and reduced body mass compared to controls on Earth. Similar experiments on the ISS also found developmental irregularities in rat pups born in space.
While concerning, direct impacts on a human pregnancy may be different. NASA must conduct further animal studies on reproduction in space to better understand the implications.
Exposure to Space Radiation
Outside of Earth’s protective magnetic field, astronauts are bombarded by solar and cosmic radiation. Exposure to high radiation levels increases risks of cancer, nervous system damage, and degenerative diseases. Fetuses are especially sensitive to radiation due to rapid cellular growth and development.
The effects depend heavily on the radiation dose and whether exposure occurs early or late in the pregnancy. Potential risks include:
- Miscarriage or stillbirth
- Smaller offspring size
- Cognitive disabilities and impairments
- Increased cancer risk later in life
Lead shielding in spacecraft and spacesuits helps reduce exposure, but longer trips beyond Earth orbit substantially raise radiation risks for a pregnant crew member.
Spacecraft design changes may better protect pregnant crews from radiation. For example, cargo and equipment could be positioned around crew quarters to create a radiation shelter, and drinking water stores could help block some exposure.
Stresses of Spaceflight
Even without pregnancy complications, astronauts face intense physical and emotional demands. Some additional risks pregnant crews may confront include:
- Morning sickness – Nausea exacerbated by microgravity’s disorienting effects could severely impact health and ability to work.
- Decreased mobility – The pressurized EVA suits required for spacewalks were not designed to accommodate a pregnant belly.
- Limited medical care – Crew medical officers have limited ultrasound imaging and treatment experience, so high-risk pregnancies would be dangerous.
- Remote locations – No chance of emergency return once beyond low Earth orbit, so complications could become life-threatening.
These obstacles do not preclude a pregnancy in space, but overcoming them will require careful crew selection, training modifications, and improved spacecraft designs.
Preparing for the First Pregnant Astronaut
To enable the healthiest and safest pregnancy possible in space, NASA and its partners must invest in targeted research and training:
Expanded Biomedical Studies
While initial animal studies have been conducted, much remains unknown about mammalian reproduction in microgravity. NASA aims to continue experiments on the ISS and in low Earth orbit focused on topics like:
- Pregnancy and embryonic development
- Birth, nursing, and growth into adulthood in space
- Effects across multiple generations
- Techniques for mitigating health risks
These studies will identify biomedical risks, define safe gestation periods in space, and inform mission policies and medical capabilities.
New Crew Procedures and Training
NASA needs to develop training procedures and flight rules specific to pregnant astronauts. Some areas may include:
- Modified pre-flight fitness and conditioning requirements
- Extra EVA spacesuit adjustments as pregnancy progresses
- Radiation monitoring and specialized storm shelters
- Water immersion exercises to simulate reduced gravity
- Emergency medical and neonatal training for crewmates
This specialized training will help ensure mission readiness and quick crisis response for pregnant crews.
Upgraded Spacecraft and Habitats
NASA’s next-generation spacecraft for deep space, such as Orion and Gateway, can incorporate design features to better protect pregnant astronauts. Some examples include:
- Sleep stations with enhanced radiation shielding
- Artificial gravity modules to stimulate muscle/bone health
- Enlarged hygiene facilities and mobility aids
- Sound dampening panels for privacy
- Medical suites equipped for prenatal care and delivery
Space habitat designs that provide a safe, nurturing environment for parents and children enable NASA’s vision for a spacefaring future.
Who Will Become the First?
Realistically, NASA’s first pregnancy in space is at least five to ten years away given remaining health unknowns. But which female astronaut will make history as the first pregnant space traveler?
Leading contenders include astronauts training for NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond:
- Christina Koch – Has flown long-duration missions before, ideal for high-risk pregnancy.
- Jessica Watkins – Geologist selected in 2017, brings science background suited for exploration.
- Kate Rubins – Completed two spaceflights, has exceptional research credentials as a viral immunologist.
- Stephanie Wilson – Veteran of three shuttle missions, extensive experience enables managing complex missions.
These examples demonstrate the diversity of backgrounds among women preparing for deep space crews. Any of NASA’s 2017 astronaut class could also potentially become the first pregnant woman based on mission timing.
Whoever the trailblazer ends up being, they will surely be an inspiration to women around the world breaking barriers in male-dominated fields. Not to mention a role model for aspiring young astronauts!
Conclusion
While social attitudes previously prohibited pregnancy in space, changing cultural norms and exploration ambitions now compel space agencies to reconsider this policy. NASA and its partners aim to conduct the necessary research and mission planning to enable the first pregnant astronaut mission by the late 2020s or 2030s.
Major health and technology hurdles certainly exist. However, the benefits for NASA’s goals of sustainable deep space exploration outweigh the risks. The first woman to give birth beyond Earth will gain worldwide admiration as an explorer expanding the limits of humanity.
This pioneering crew member will carry on the legacy of female spaceflight pioneers before her. She will pave the way for future generations born on the Moon, Mars, and beyond Earth orbit. Her historic mission will mark a key milestone in humanity’s quest to bring life and family – the essence of human civilization – out into the cosmos.
