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Incredible images show SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blasting the firm’s Dragon spacecraft towards the International Space Station to deliver human sperm for a NASA experiment.

The space agency plans to test how well human and bull sperm functions in space after previous tests on sea urchin semen suggested microgravity allowed it to activate more quickly.

It will be a step towards understanding the viability of reproduction in reduced gravity conditions, NASA scientists said as they continued to study the possibility of humans living on Mars in the future.

Elon Musk’s powerful rocket launched the Dragon capsule and cargo towards the orbiting space lab from the Cape Canaveral Air Force base in Florida on Monday.

It is set to reach the ISS on Wednesday morning.

Once the frozen sperm samples reach the space station they will be thawed by astronauts and combined with a chemical mixture that actives the semen's cells.

Previous NASA studies on sea urchin semen showed that the lack of gravity in space activated sperm more quickly, but that it took far longer for them to start fusing with the egg.

“We still don’t know how long-duration space missions affect human reproductive health, and whether infertility may be a risk for future astronauts. In addition, a successful base on the Moon or Mars may require self-perpetuating colonies of animals and plants,” NASA said in a statement.

Also sent to the ISS on SpaceX’s delivery spacecraft was a machine used to spin test tubes of blood and more equipment for biological tests related to measuring astronaut’s heath.

SpaceX reusable Falcon 9 rocket blasts off for the 50th time 9 show all SpaceX reusable Falcon 9 rocket blasts off for the 50th time 1/9 Elon Musk's rocket fires up at the Florida launch station AP 2/9 The Falcon9 blasts off on its 50th launch SpaceX 3/9 Earthlings could watch a live stream of the impressive event AFP/Getty Images 4/9 The rocket successfully transported a gigantic satellite into orbit SpaceX 5/9 The impressive milestone was reached in less than eight years. AP 6/9 Stunning footage shows how the huge rocket creates a huge trail of smoke and fire as it blasts through the sky AFP/Getty Images 7/9 The rocket's powerful engine lit up the morning sky AFP/Getty Images 8/9 Incredible image from a previous Falcon9 launch SpaceX 9/9 The rocket at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station SpaceX 1/9 Elon Musk's rocket fires up at the Florida launch station AP 2/9 The Falcon9 blasts off on its 50th launch SpaceX 3/9 Earthlings could watch a live stream of the impressive event AFP/Getty Images 4/9 The rocket successfully transported a gigantic satellite into orbit SpaceX 5/9 The impressive milestone was reached in less than eight years. AP 6/9 Stunning footage shows how the huge rocket creates a huge trail of smoke and fire as it blasts through the sky AFP/Getty Images 7/9 The rocket's powerful engine lit up the morning sky AFP/Getty Images 8/9 Incredible image from a previous Falcon9 launch SpaceX 9/9 The rocket at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station SpaceX

The Dragon craft will then remain on the space lab for 30 days before returning to Earth with yet more cargo, including NASA’s oldest robot the Robonaut 2 which has been on the ISS since 2011, in May.

The robot is being returned to Earth for repairs, The Verge reported.

NASA and Space X hailed the successful lift-off of the Falcon 9 just after 1.30pm Pacific Time on Monday.

It came just days after billionaire business magnate Mr Musk’s private rocket firm blasted 10 telecommunications satellites into orbit on Good Friday.