Sex in space

Sex in space is distinguished by the state of weightlessness (precluding artificial gravity) which leads to some difficulties surrounding the performing of most sexual activities. Because no certain sexual intercourse in space is known to have occurred, the topic is hotly disputed to clarify its potential impact on human beings in the isolated, confined, and hazardous environment of space. However, the ongoing discussions often include several speculations (e.g., about the STS-47 mission, on which married astronauts Mark C. Lee and Jan Davis flew), and even hoaxes, such as Document 12-571-3570.

Debates

It is assumed that the nervous and vestibular systems may fail to develop properly in individuals growing up in a low or zero gravity environment, and that this would have implications for space-born humans making the trip to Earth [ [http://www.bway.net/~rjnoonan/humans_in_space/sex.html http://www.bway.net/~rjnoonan/humans_in_space/sex.html] "Bway.net" ] though the possibility of zero-gravity pregnancy is currently uncertain.

United States

Science fiction and popular science writer Isaac Asimov made conjectures in writing about what sex would be like in the weightless environment of space, in 1973. He anticipated some of the benefits of engaging in sex in an environment of microgravity. [ Isaac Asimov, “Sex in a Spaceship,” "Sexology", January 1973. Reprinted in Science Past – Science Future, 1975]

NASA remains silent as to whether or not anyone has had intercourse on space shuttle missions; NASA spokesman Bill Jeffs stated "We don't study sexuality in space, and we don't have any studies ongoing with that...If that's your specific topic, there's nothing to discuss". [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,377401,00.html FOXNews.com - Sex in Space: Soon, If Not Already - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News ] ]

oviet Union

A leading Soviet research facility in the field of space medicine, The Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBP), has been involved for decades in the sex-related studies of living species in space. The Institute's interest in topic began in the early 1960s, when it noticed a difference in behavior between two dogs that had flown in space, Veterok and Ugolyok. [ [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/generalscience/russian_sex_studies_000316.html http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/generalscience/russian_sex_studies_000316.html] "Space.com" ] Ugolyok, unlike Veterok, maintained quite a healthy libido during his longer-than-average life span.

A 1976 article [Plakhuta-Plakutina GI, Serova LV, Dreval' AA, Tarabrin SB. "Effect of 22-day space flight factors on the state of the sex glands and reproductive capacity of rats", "Kosmicheskaya Bioligiya i Aviakosmicheskaya Meditsina". 1976 Sep-Oct;10(5):40-7. PMID|979120 ru icon] reported that an exposure of Wistar rats to 22 days of weightlessness and other space flight factors induced no morphological changes in the spermatogenic tissue or disorders in the spermatogenic process of the rats, and the offspring of the male "space rats" was normal in all aspects.

Regarding human sex, Dr. Anna Goncharova said that if crew members are just colleagues and friends, one should never impose on them any intimate relations for the sake of their psycho-emotional stability. [ [http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/mg18825233.600-astronaughtiness-could-cause-problems-in-space.html http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/mg18825233.600-astronaughtiness-could-cause-problems-in-space.html] "Newscientist.com" ] It was rumored that the unhappy marriage of Soviet cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Andrian Nikolayev was in part instigated by the pressure of the IBP. [http://www.rian.ru/review/20060616/49619382.html "Valentina Tereshkova: the Woman who Conquered the Space"] ru icon]

Breasts

The first woman in space was the Soviet Valentina Tereshkova aboard the Vostok 6 in 1963; the second and third were Svetlana Savitskaya and Sally Ride in 1982 and 1983, respectively. This scarcity has left ample time for speculation about the effects of weightlessness on the female form.

Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins published his autobiography "Carrying the Fire" in 1974. A contemporary "Time" Magazine review complimented his imagination for a passage that it quoted:

cquote|Imagine a spacecraft of the future, with a crew of a thousand ladies, off for Alpha Centauri, with 2,000 breasts bobbing beautifully and quivering delightfully in response to every weightless movement . . . and I am the commander of the craft, and it is Saturday morning and time for inspection, naturally. [cite news
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,942998-2,00.html
title = Lunar Caustic | work = Time
first = Robert | last = Sherrod | date = 1974-08-19 | accessdate = 2008-08-17 ]

Acclaimed hard science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was quick to point out, in a letter to the editor, that he had beaten Collins to addressing the matter in the novel "Rendezvous with Rama" (1973): [cite news
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908748-5,00.html
title = Letters to the Editor | work = Time
first = Arthur C. | last = Clarke | date = 1974-09-23 ]

The magazine followed this up by running a letter from one Sharon Smith, who agreed that the presence of breasts "bobbing weightlessly" would render spacemen unable to do their jobs and added that the space program must safeguard itself by the painful but necessary step of excluding men. [cite news
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943028-3,00.html
title = Letters to the Editor | work = Time | date = 1974-10-07
first = Sharon | last = Smith ] The increase in gender parity among astronauts has not stopped such commentary: For a modern example, in the webcomic "Schlock Mercenary" a female character is complimented on the asynchronity of her ample, artificially augmented assets. [cite web
url = http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20080103.htm
title = January 3rd, 2008 Comic Strip
first = Howard Taylor | date = 2008-01-03 | work = Schlock Mercenary ]

Popular culture

IMDB has the keyword " [http://www.imdb.com/keyword/zero-gravity-sex/ zero gravity sex] " for movies, and the TV Tropes Wiki maintains [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ZeroGSpot an article] on the depictions of space sex in media in general. There is also some filk music on the subject, in particular author Diana G. Gallagher's Pegasus Award-winning " [http://www.ovff.org/pegasus/songs/docking-maneuvers.html A Reconsideration of Anatomical Docking Maneuvers in a Zero-G Environment] ".

James Bond

In the James Bond film "Moonraker", James Bond (played by Roger Moore), and the Bond girl, Dr. Holly Goodhead, have sex in the cargo bay of the Moonraker 5 Space Shuttle in one scene.

"Moving Violations"

The comedy "Moving Violations" (1985) suggests the main characters, played by actors John Murray and Jennifer Tilly, have an intimate encounter in a weightlessness simulator.Fact|date=November 2007

"Supernova"

The Sci-fi horror "Supernova" (2000) featured sex between several of the characters in zero-gravity areas of the Medical Ship.

"The Uranus Experiment"

Private Media Group filmed a brief scene for the space-themed pornographic film "The Uranus Experiment" in a Russian aircraft flying a parabolic track (similar to NASA's Vomit Comet). "The Uranus Experiment" features around 20 seconds of actors Sylvia Saint and Nick Lang (who portray astronauts living on a space station) having sex in freefall. The scene was controversially nominated for a Nebula Award, but did not win. [http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/movies/uranus_experiment_000516.html "Zero Gravity Sex Film Up for Award"] , space.com, 16 May 2000]

ee also

*2suit
*Human adaptation to space
*Reproduction and pregnancy in science fiction
*Sex and sexuality in science fiction
*Space medicine

References

*R. J. Levin (1989). "Effects of space travel on sexuality and the human reproductive system". Journal of the British Interplanetary Society.
*Robert A. Freitas Jr. " [http://www.rfreitas.com/Astro/SexxxInSpace.htm Sex in Space] ". "Sexology Today" no. 48 (April 1983): 58-64.

External links

* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14002908/ Outer-space sex carries complications] By Alan Boyle, MSNBC July 24 2006. Concept of "2suit" design of American writer Vanna Bonta.
* [http://www.jamesoberg.com/sex.html Space sex hoax rises again] by James Oberg
* [http://www.space.com/news/space_pregnancy_001218_wg.html Pregnancy in Space Seems Possible]
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1894959442/ Sex in Space - a book by Science Journalist Laura S. Woodmansee www.laurawoodmansee.com]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2000/feb/24/spaceexploration.internationalnews1 Astronauts test sex in space - but did the earth move?] The Guardian February 24 2000
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26991760 Virgin Galactic rejects $1 million space porn] by Peter B. de Selding, MSNBC October 2 2008.