Some serious questions about an important aspect of human life: sex.

a)Considering the large amount of human beings that have been sent into to space, isn't it strange that nobody's had sex (of any form) in space so far (I really don't want to believe, as the freaks do , that it's denied just to spare the puritan taxpayer)?

b)Case it never happened, isn't it time to experiment?

c)Does anybody in this forum know of something in that sense being prepared?

d)How can we make a trip to Mars being deprived of sex for so long? Will we send regular couples (again, lest the taxpayer be shocked?)?




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Argos on 2002-01-06 05:30 ]</font>

well first of all i have no clue about whether or not any one so far has had sex of any form whilst being inspace, however i do know that scientists are trying to figure out what will happen to a fetus in zero gravity conditions for those journeys that are going to take generations to reach desired places and for those places we may eventually collonate, and they even have a husband and wife astronaut pair to have sex inorbit to see if it is even possible to concieve in zero gravity situations.

i'm just going to scout around now for the web pages pertaining to this. shall post again soon

way too much info i don't know what's the truth and what's a bunch of lies! on the surface this page seemed quite reasonable:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/200011...2000Oct31.html

this one has other links that might be useful:
http://www.sciam.com/2000/0100issue/0100scicit1.html

hope they help.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: GENIUS'02 on 2002-01-06 11:05 ]</font>

Thanks. That's exactly the kind of approach I was looking for. I liked when it says that the astronauts are the best people for standing "delayed rewards".

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Argos on 2002-01-06 12:42 ]</font>

There's been a formal-sounding report, purportedly from NASA but presumably a hoax, circulating around the Internet for a few years now that addresses sex in space. You can find a copy at:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blsexinspace.htm

Interesting, but yeah, I'd have to agree, presumably that was cooked in the imagination of someone with a bit of spare time on their hands.

Has anyone heard of any developments in this area more recently?

I have to imagine you are concerned over pregnancy in space, because once free of your space suit, sex in space would be no different from sex in an airplane or on a steamship for that matter. Might be fun to overcome the wieghtless factor. There might be some visually interesting topological changes in the body to consider, but none should impede the sex.

And who can say with surety that human sex has not occurred in space?

But no one knows whether fertization would occurr or, especially if the embryo would develop healthily. Is there any valid speculation on what a free-fall gestation would be like?

I'm so disappointed...I thought this is where all the illegal aliens were coming from.

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If you always believe what you already know, you can't learn anything - Liz

To quote from "How do you go to the Bathroom in Space" by Skylab Astro naut William R. Pogue

Q:"Can you have sex in space."
A: " Love will find a way."

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All the other biological processes seem to work OK, why wouldn't fertilization? Sperm swimming in the fluids don't need gravity to move around, they are not walking on the floor.

Obviously we don't know until we try, but why should gestation be affected more than say digestion? It is a cell attached to the uterine wall and growing. COuld be some circulation issues with mom, and maybe some other similar things, but so far humans can live in zero G pretty well other than bone and muscle atrophy.

Nothing is simple in microgravity. I don't want get into the exact mechanics of this, but usually sex requires a certain amount of force, and whenever you apply a force in microgravity you move in the opposite direction.

Some equipment would probably have to be designed/improvised for this purpose.

Not sure about this but my personal strategy might start with grasping the partner in certain areas leaving other areas free for relative motion. Perhaps kneepads and helmets might be warranted in case unplanned drifting occurred. Then...

Oh, never mind.

It seems to me like I read somewhere once that the Russian cosmonauts did some testing on having sex in space. They have sent more women up to space then we (The USA, and ESA) have. I don't recall any information about conceiption, or pregancy. Just the machinics of performing the actual act provided a number of logistical chalanges, but was not specified.

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Thanks for turning down the volume. Now I can hear the voices in my head again.

I think the French magazine Air et Cosmos once had a brief mention that a Russian doctor had said that the experiment had been performed on the first occasion that a mixed-sex crew had flown, in 1982, but had not resulted in a pregnancy. I've never seen any confirmation anywhere else of this.

Where did you get the idea that the Russians have sent more women into space? They sent the first, certainly, but very few since.

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Actually, it's not that much of a problem. Astronauts use wide straps to tether themselvs and other things all the time, esp. to keep from floating out of beds.

Sex in space has been done. The problem is the high radiation precludes, at least for now, any truly reproductive activities. No women are allowed in space if they are planning children. All males wanting to have children have to set aside semen, because after a few months in space, where the radiation is far, far higher than on earth, none can guarantee lack of problems of birth and genetic defects.

The real problems in space are muscle and bone loss, plus radiation damage. Those 3 problems effectively prevent any long missions, because after 4 months, the usual American limit to space living, there is not enough recovery from the bone/muscle loss, and other problems, such as rewiring the balance & visual systems, which processes must be reversed upon return to 1 gee.

And until the problems of radiation & muscle/bone loss are effectively dealt with, there will be NO long term space flights, either. Esp. not to mars or beyond. There are other serious human limits to prolonged space living, human mental stability and illnesses not being a small problem.

Do you have any proof of any of those statements, particularly, that sex has been done and that women planning to have kids are not allowed in space?

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Only from talking to a chap whose friend in medical school is now an astronaut. I doubt he'd misdirect me.

And if you think about it, it makes sense. Even the husband of a friend of mine, who worked on a nuclear sub, had to put away semen. No one in his right mind would seriously consider, after a few months in space, having children, given the radiation problems there.

I note that you do not deal with this, or the muscle/bone loss problems. Those are interesting omissions.

I didn't deal with the muscle/bone loss problem for long duration flights because I agree with you that it is a problem (though the Russians have had people in space for over a year at a time). I don't see how it impacts fertilization.

I don't have an opinion about the sperm storing and even if it wasn't NASA or Navy policy, individuals might do anyway. They also may do it, not because of radiation, but because of the highly risky nature of space flight and sub warfare (maybe they wanted to leave something for their wives if they died). But I would like to hear from someone else if the radiation is really that much of an issue. This sounds a lot like the Moon hoax arguements about radiation. This study would seem to indicate that space radiation is not a problem for mutations. This recent study (I believe discussed elsewhere on BAUT) seems to show that radiation is more a threat to bone marrow.

I have never heard that NASA has a policy that bans female astronauts from having children. Though my ignorance doesn't prove that there is no such policy, I would think such a policy would get a lot of press. This website lists over 30 women who are NASA astronauts. It doesn't give any information about their children.

I came upon this article about the social issues of sex in space on long duration flights.

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Darn, I thought the title was just a scientificy-sounding excuse to have porn on this website.

(I'm just kidding! Don't persecute me!)

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Tereshkova had a child, AFAIK perfectly normal, after three days in orbit, but I can't recall ever hearing of a NASA woman astronaut doing likewise. Of course, NASA astronauts tend to be at least in their late thirties when they make their first flight.

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