Is it possible to have a complete sexual act in space? – What are the consequences of male spermatogenesis from radiation and weightlessness
Whether or not there is life on a planet outside of Earth is a question that has occupied mankind for centuries, if not millennia. At a desperately slow pace, there is some progress in our knowledge of the origin of the universe and the human species. However, there are a number of fundamental issues in which we find ourselves in the utter darkness of a cognitive Black Hole.
The thorny question of whether a normal sexual activity can take place in zero-gravity conditions between two (or more than two) astronauts remains virtually unanswered – at least in terms of official space agencies and especially NASA which always keeps a silent fish around space sex.
Of course, some people think that the error starts with the question itself. Which should be reworded on a realistic basis, not in general if “is there sex in space?”, But much more specifically, as follows: “Do astronauts masturbate?” And if so, how do they manage to complete their self-love activity?
Lack of gravity and… kryptonite
The lack of gravity affects the blood circulation, while the absence of private space and the possibility of isolation makes self-satisfaction even more difficult – if and when the member of a space mission wishes to indulge in it.
In particular, zero-gravity makes it difficult for blood to collect in the vessels that swell and cause the penis to erect. In space flight conditions, blood tends to rise much more easily to his (and her) astronaut’s brain.
But there is a valuable testimony recorded. In an interview with a well-known magazine, American astronaut Mike Mullane points out the issue:
“in zero gravity conditions, one of the changes that the body undergoes is the displacement of fluids. The blood and water in your body are in balance, but in space, the lower extremities weaken, while for example, a woman’s breast swells. As for the erection, yes, there have been cases in which I woke up so irritated that I could pierce a wall of kryptonite [Kryptonite is a fictional material, powerful, unbreakable and impenetrable, which can defeat even Superman].”
Mullan assures that an astronaut is much more serious things to concern him, eg by not destroying the billions worth of equipment with someone mishandling than to settle the respective sexual stimulation.
As for the question, if he knows his colleagues who have done it in space, Mike Mullan is categorical:
“You can not have sex in space, even though there are mixed crews. “And not because the cameras are constantly watching us, but simply because there is no space available for a love affair.”
In general, first-person astronauts’ confessions about sex in the workplace are measured in the fingers of one hand, so science does not have enough material to study and draw useful conclusions.
The 2014 survey
Nevertheless, in 2014 the Journal of Women’s Health published the result of a large study on how the human body adapts sexual and reproductive functions to the very special conditions of long-term living in space.
A team of scientists first looked at the problem of increased and prolonged exposure to radiation within spacecraft and satellites – always in the light of the effects on astronauts’ sexual and reproductive activity.
Equally important is the effect of microgravity and mental stress on sperm quality. “Male spermatogenesis may be adversely affected by radiation,” the study concludes, citing laboratory observations in piglets.
In the same study, however, the authors note that “very little is known about sexual activity in space. Lack of frequent ejaculation results in an increased concentration of deposits in the prostate, which may favor the growth of bacteria.” Therefore, the easily implied conclusion – in the form of indirect medical persuasion – is regular ejaculation for male astronauts. In other words, the urge to masturbate, for the good of the prostate.
