Such a birth would mark the beginning of a multiplanet civilization for the human species.
For the first half-century of the Space Age, only governments launched satellites and people into Earth orbit.
No longer.Hundreds of private space companiesare building a new industry that already has US$300 billion inannual revenue.
Im a professor of astronomy who has written abookand a number ofarticlesabout humans future in space.
Today, all activity in space is tethered to the Earth.
China recently sent both an orbiter and rover to Mars using the Tianwen-1 rocket, seen here.
But while NASA achieved the Moon landings in 1969, its budget has sinceshrunk by a factor of three.
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The new kid on the block is China.
On its current trajectory, China will soon be thedominant space power.
Jeff Bezos company, Blue Origins, also aims to colonize thesolar system.
Such grandiose plans have skeptics, but remember that these are the tworichest people in the world.
China is partnering with Russia to build a long-term facility at the Moons South Pole sometimebetween 2036 and 2045.
But once people do take up permanent residency off-Earth, there are still many unknowns.
Its possible there will be unexpected hazards to the fetus or mother.
Second, babies are fragile, and raising them is not easy.
They talk a good story, but the legal, medical and ethical obstacles are formidable.
But thebreathless news reportsomit any discussion of thedifficulty and costof such a project.
At the moment, theres no evidence anyone has had sex in space.
My guess is that sometime around 2040, a unique individual will be born.
But I prefer to think of this future person as the first true citizen of the galaxy.
