When we think about astronauts and space, one topic that often gets overlooked is sex.
This subject is quite intriguing, and the answer is even more fascinating, though a bit unusual.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were initially scheduled to be at the International Space Station for ten days. Due to some malfunctions, they might stay there until February of next year, leading some to wonder about the possibility of intimate relations in space.
It’s a compelling question.
While being confined together on Earth might make sex seem natural, the scenario in space could be entirely different.
With numerous unanswered questions about how it would work, experts have provided some insights for those curious minds out there.
Firstly, the logistics would pose challenges, especially concerning thrusting in zero gravity.
John Millis, a physicist and astronomer, told The Sun Online in 2018 that sex in space would resemble ‘skydiving’, and although difficult, it’s ‘not impossible.’
He explained: “The issues surrounding the act all revolve around the freefall, micro-gravity, environment experienced by astronauts. Imagine engaging in sexual activity while skydiving — every push or thrust will propel you in opposite directions.
“Even the lightest touch can make it difficult to stay in contact if both persons are not properly anchored. The astronauts would need to brace themselves against the space station and even each other.”
Achieving an erection could also be problematic, as blood tends to rise to the head rather than the genitals in micro-gravity environments.
This low blood pressure in the area can cause the penis to shrink and reduce testosterone levels.
The lack of gravity would also result in a messy situation with fluids floating around.
Given all these challenges, experts have weighed in to provide more information for those interested.
NASA technician Harry Stine wrote in his book Life in Space that it would be ‘easier when a third person assisted by holding one of the others in place’.
Millis once suggested to Glamour that a special apparatus could be developed to assist, saying: “That could be a jungle gym–type apparatus that allows people to position themselves appropriately to a strap system that holds them together or clothing that accomplishes the same thing.
“Imaginative minds will create something ingenious, I’m sure.”
Although there’s no confirmed instance of sex in space, Paul Root Wolpe, a former NASA Bioethicist, told DW that if astronauts wanted to be intimate, they’d ‘have to get creative in this space.’
He said: “Everything on the walls of the space station is covered in Velcro, so you could take advantage of that by velcroing one partner to the wall.
“We don’t realize how much gravity assists us in the act of intercourse. Sex involves pressure. In space, without any counterforce, you end up constantly pushing your partner away from you.”