Space tourism expands its activities by companies such as SpaceX, by Elon Musk, and Blue Origin, by Jeff Bezos. While that happens, relevant challenges emerge. One of them is the sex off planet earthwhose consequences are still unknown and require an analytical approach.
David Cullen, professor of bioanalytical technology at the University of Cranfield, England, points in this direction in an article published in The Conversation. “The companies are not prepared for the consequences for people to join what we might call the ‘Kármán line club’”, he points out. In aviation and astronautics, that line is the limit between the earth’s atmosphere and outer space, located 100 kilometers from our planet.
Cullen ensures that humans will inevitably have sex in space. A propensity that can already be seen in the so-called “Mile High Club”, whose members are known for having intimate relationships on board airplanes, in mid-flight.
Sex in space, an unexplored activity
Alien scenarios are no longer exclusive to professional astronauts. Space tourism is underway thanks to companies that offer trips outside our planet and interested parties willing to pay fortunes for these voyages. In addition to the aforementioned SpaceX and BlueOrigin, there are others. One of them is Virgin Galactic, owned by tycoon Richard Branson.
“There is a good chance that the deployment of the sector will be quickly followed by the first sexual intercourse off Earth”, points out the specialist from the British university. In addition, he predicts that sex in space will be a common practice within the next ten years.
The real concern is not intimacy away from home, but the consequences of that activity. According to Cullen, it will be necessary to consider aspects such as the following.
- Although space tourism does not admit pregnant passengers, cases in which this status is hidden and/or unknown were not considered.
- We know that weightlessness alters our body. Meanwhile, a study of how it will affect the physiological processes of reproduction, sex in space and gestation.
- Experiments with mice aboard satellites, cited by the bioanalytics expert, showed changes in the embryos.
“Knowledge of the impact on human reproduction is effectively zero. But we can assume that there will be effectssays Cullen, who notes that there is an unknown potential for anomalies in the event that a human pregnancy develops off-Earth.
Space tourism facing the challenge of human sexuality
The advancement of the sector turns into reality the arguments of science fiction, which anticipated that space would be one more tourist destination among many. Parallel to the illusions -observing the globe from afar is enchanting- side effects appear that should be evaluated.
According to Cullen, sex in space, in possible long-term stays, could lead to ectopic pregnancies caused by lack of gravity. We also don’t know for sure if the contraceptive methods used here on Earth will be effective in those scenarios.
“Our investigation found little evidence that the sector is taking steps to mitigate these risks. The space tourism industry and other relevant parties urgently need to unite. They must discuss these issues and formulate a strategy to protect everyone involved”, concludes the specialist.