National space agencies and private space companies seem to be avoiding the possibility of coitus in long-term crewed space missions. There have been calls on NASA to study the intimate and sexual needs of astronauts who will become the first inhabitants of the space colonies they are planning.
Many voiced their concerns that studying the possibility of coitus in space would determine the success of space colonies and the expansion of humanity in the cosmos. They said it is essential to know whether it is safe to reproduce and build pleasurable intimate lives in space. But this would mean that space organizations would need to view humans as beings with needs and desires.
Is Coitus Possible in Space? NASA Finally Open in Studying If Humans Can Safely Reproduce in Space for Long-Term Missions
New Discipline in Space Exploration Should Be Introduced
Intimacy and sexual relations are part of human life that some scientists believe should be discussed as space agencies plan for long-term crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS), Mars, the Moon, and beyond. They pointed out that it is one thing to send orbiters and rovers to other planets and it is another to send humans to live in space for the long term, EarthSky reported.
Psychology researchers from Concordia University argue that studying psychosocial aspects of human factors in space is important and that it is time for space programs to embrace the new discipline called space sexology. This is the comprehensive scientific study of intimacy and sexuality in space.
They believe that limiting intimacy in space could jeopardize the mental and sexual health of astronauts and would cause a decline in crew performance and mission success. To this date, the few studies relating to reproduction are limited to the impacts of radiation and micro- and hyper-gravity on rodents, amphibians, and insects.
But due to taboos and conservative views, some organizations ignore the importance of this new discipline. They think that the lack of foresight could lead to problems in the future. They encourage space organizations to develop space sexology as a scientific field and research program to design systems, habitats, and training programs that allow intimacy beyond Earth.
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NASA Open to Research on Learning How to Safely Reproduce in Space
Simon Dubé, a psychologist from Concordia University, told Mic that no research has explored intimacy and human sexual functions in space or space analogs or how it can affect crew performance.
But after years of dodging the topic, NASA finally said that they are open to the idea. They emphasized that they are more concerned now in ensuring the health and safety of crew members who will be sent for longer periods in space, The New York Post reported. The space agency's Human Research Program is currently working to mitigate spaceflight hazards to astronauts.
They said that they are willing to conduct an in-depth study of reproductive health in space in the future should it be needed. For instance, the Daily Star reported that there have been questions about whether it is realistic to conceive and give birth in space as no one knows if coitus can be done in zero-gravity and how liquid physics and its basic mechanics will work.
Astronomer and physicist Dr. John Millis said that male arousal could be a challenge in space. Vaginal wetness is another concern because the fluid will likely just stay in the area of secretion due to the lack of gravity. Nonetheless, both are still possible and would not necessarily stop arousal, although it might be unpleasant.
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