New evidence and insight for abnormalities in early embryonic development after short-term spaceflight onboard the Chinese SJ-10 satellite

During space travel, radiation and microgravity are recognized to be major hazardous factors in the overall health and well-being of astronauts. Although some efforts have been made to elucidate the effects of short-term space travel on the reproductive health of astronauts and in a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies involving multiple species, it is still unclear whether space travel can cause abnormal embryonic development or if it poses any reproductive risks. Recently, Lei et al. (2020) investigated the effects of short-term spaceflight onboard the Chinese SJ-10 satellite on murine preimplantation embryonic development. In the article, the authors claimed that the developmental abnormalities after short-term spaceflight onboard the SJ-10 satellite were attributed to space radiation and that the level was equivalent to those induced by a 2 mGy dose of gamma-rays in a ground-based facility. In this commentary, we discuss the possible space environmental factors and associated mechanisms that contribute to abnormalities in early embryonic developments, and the potential health risks to the mammalian species after short-term space travel. This commentary provides new evidence and a fresh perspective on whether and how short-term space travel poses potential reproductive risks in the mammalian species.