12/12/2023
S ex researchers seek answers from far and beyond.
The science of s ex in space:
If people are going to spend years or perhaps their entire lives in space, scientists want to know if it will be possible and safe for them to engage in that most innately human activity: s ex. The limited information available from previous International Space Station visitors suggests a reduction in libido, possibly because when you’re traveling around Earth "every 90 minutes, your circadian rhythms are altered and that alters everything, including your s ex hormones," said former NASA medical adviser Saralyn Mark.
Hormonal changes and gravitational challenges aside, researchers believe s ex in space is feasible. But cosmic radiation could pose other problems to reproduction, rendering deep-space explorers infertile or causing potentially fatal defects in embryos and fetuses.
For psychologist Simon Dubé, the most pressing concern is how any hookup would affect the crew dynamic in a "remote, isolated, very small space, with limited partners who are people you work with and depend on." That worries him more, he says, "than, are people going to be able to have s ex in the space station?"
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine.
Researchers have an interesting conundrum worth passing along!
