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A startup has announced plans to host the first live human birth IN SPACE.
一家初创公司宣布了在太空中进行首次人类实况分娩的计划。
That’s right, A SPACE BABY!
你没听错，是太空宝贝!
SpaceLife Origin aims to answer all our questions about makin’ babies in space.
“太空生命起源”志在回答我们关于在太空生产婴儿的所有问题。
The team consists of several entrepreneurs and “business experts” as well as a small team of science advisors.
该团队的成员包括多位企业家，“商业专家”，还有一个科学顾问小团队。
And their 2024 mission, dubbed “Mission Cradle” aims to have the first human baby born in space.
他们2024年的任务名为“摇篮任务”，目标是在太空接生首个人类婴儿。
Their website doesn’t include a terrible amount of detail as to exactly how this mission will go down.
他们的网站并没有包含太多关于这次任务将如何进行的细节。
But it does specify it will last 24-36 hours,
但还是明确指出，该任务将持续24-36小时，
and involves a pregnant woman and a “trained, world class medical team” being launched 400km above earth to a space station.
还会将一名孕妇和一支“训练有素的世界级医疗团队”送上距地球400公里的一个空间站。
There, the woman will give birth before mom and babe are returned to the surface.
孕妇将在那上面分娩，之后妈妈和宝宝都将被送回地面。
The website also adds that a “carefully prepared and monitored process will reduce all possible risks.”
该网站还补充说，“整个流程都经过了精心准备并伴有监控，将减少所有可能的风险。”
But, as you can imagine, people are still very concerned about the possible risks.
但是，可以想见，人们还是非常担心可能的风险。
For starters, this plan involves putting a VERY pregnant woman under extreme g-forces.
首先，这个计划涉及到要让一个孕晚期的妈妈承受极限重力加速度的问题。
Astronauts typically experience roughly 3x the force of gravity during rocket launches,
火箭发射时，宇航员通常会感受到大约3G的载荷，
and it can be even more if something goes wrong.
如果出了问题，情况可能会更糟。
We don’t know what this amount of force would do to a human mom or child.
我们并不知道这么大的载荷会对一位人类妈妈或孩子产生怎样的影响。
Then there are concerns about the safety of actually delivering a baby up there-
第二个问题是人们担心太空分娩的安全——
with no gravity to hold the mother to a delivery bed or the doctors to the floor- things get complicated quickly.
没有重力把母亲固定在产床上或把医生固定在地板上——事情很快就会变得复杂起来。
And don’t even get me started on the bodily fluids.
羊水的问题就更不用说了。
Then of course this newborn baby will have to survive the treacherous return trip---
其次，这个新生的婴儿还要度过危险的返程之旅，
one that involves hypersonic speeds, extreme temperatures, and an often not-so-soft landing.
面对高超音速、极端温度和通常不那么软的软着陆等各种问题。
But beyond the safety concerns,
而且，除了安全方面的隐忧以外，
getting regulatory approval for a mission like this could be extremely difficult.
要让监管机构批准这样一项任务可能也会极其困难。
Experimentation on human EMBRYOS already faces strict regulation and international ethical debate,
人类胚胎实验本就已经面临着严格的监管和国际伦理争论，
so you can imagine the hurdles involved with an experiment involving a full-term baby in space.
所以，大家可以想象一下在太空中进行一个足月婴儿实验将面临怎样的困难。
But putting all of that aside,
不过，暂且不考虑上述所有问题的话，
let’s say they do actually manage to get this woman up there and she successfully gives birth.
就假设他们真的把这个妈妈送了上去，她也成功地生了孩子。
What would we expect for a baby born in microgravity?
我们对一个在微重力环境下出生的婴儿会有怎样的期待呢?
There have already be a handful of experiments involving animal reproduction in space-
涉及让动物在太空分娩的实验我们已经开展过一些了——
rodents, fish, flies, and even jellyfish have all been sent up there to pop out little ones.
啮齿动物、鱼类、苍蝇，甚至连水母都被送到太空分娩过。
All of these tests resulted in live offspring,
所有这些实验结果都出现了存活的后代，
so we know the fundamental birthing process can happen in microgravity.
所以我们知道，基本的生育过程是可以在微重力环境下进行的。
And pregnant rats sent to the ISS in 2001 gave birth to pretty healthy pups.
2001年被送往国际空间站的怀孕老鼠就产下了非常健康的幼崽。
Though they initially had underdeveloped vestibular systems,
虽然一开始他们的前庭系统发育得不是很健全，
after about 5 days that righted itself, and they were basically normal.
大约5天后就恢复了正常，小家伙们总体上还是很健康的。
But ISS data involving humans in microgravity has shown there are negative health effects to being in space.
但国际空间站有关人在微重力环境下的表现的数据显示，人类在微重力环境中生活对健康是有负面影响的。
Bone loss and altered immune systems are common, which could present challenges for space baby #1.
常见的问题包括骨质流失和免疫系统改变，这些问题都可能给1号太空宝贝带来挑战。
People have also raised concerns about what the recycled oxygen on board would do to the baby’s lungs during its first breaths-
人们还对宝宝呼吸初期飞机上使用的回收氧气会对宝宝的肺部产生的影响，
and concerns about the increased radiation levels of outer space.
以及外层空间的辐射水平增加等问题提出了担忧。
Additional research suggests that stressful pregnancy and birthing experiences can affect the growth and development of a baby,
其他研究表明，怀孕和分娩时妈妈承受的压力较大的话，婴儿的生长和发育也会受到影响，
and it’s hard to imagine giving birth on a space station would be a calm experience.
更何况，在空间站平静地分娩本就是一件难以想象的事。
Then, all of these potential issues are compounded by the baby’s return to earth and first experiences with gravity.
再者，除了上述所有潜在的问题，婴儿返回地球，第一次体验重力也是个问题。
Will a baby born in space be able to acclimate to the gravity of Earth?
在太空中出生的婴儿能适应地球的引力吗?
It’s obviously a crazy plan, and the list of unknowns is lengthy.
这显然是一个疯狂的计划，涉及的未知因素也很多很多。
But SpaceLife Origin stresses that this kind of experiment is bound to happen one way or another, publicly or otherwise.
但“太空生命起源”团队强调，这种实验注定会以这样或那样的方式，公开或不公开的方式发生。
Learning how to reproduce in space will be crucial if our species aims to colonize other planets.
如果我们人类的目标是殖民其他星球，学习如何在太空中繁殖将是至关重要的一个问题。
Though, admittedly putting a pregnant woman in a rocket might not be the most elegant solution.
不过，用火箭运载孕妇可能真的不是最体面的解决方案。
What do you think about all this?
大家对这些问题是怎么看呢?
Do you think it’ll work?
你们觉得他们的项目会成功吗?
Let us know in the comments.
快在评论中告诉我们吧。
And to learn about the challenges that have faces space missions of the past- check out our Apollo series!
了解过去太空任务所面临的挑战，请查看我们的阿波罗系列视频!
Thanks for watching.
感谢大家的收看。
