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Imagine having a giant O in space. Talk about a supernova explosion.

Since the space tourism industry is on the brink of commercial reality, people with enough resources will regularly pay private companies to go on space flights that can last for days or weeks and do the dirty among the stars.

This, a bunch of scientists posit, is inevitable over the next ten years and so we all need to be thinking more about it to make the necessary preparations.

These space-related scientists and clinicians from the US, Europe, and South America are not talking about lube and condom-fitted space suits, per se. They’re really concerned about studying any potential risks that space could have on related matters like conception.

What scientists. Can’t we just bang in space and hope for the best? That’s essentially how the universe was created, wasn’t it?

The scientists are making this provocative case in a new green paper out this month, fully aware that there are those with the urge to knock boots where no boots have been knocked before, noted Gizmodo:

“Our starting point was a throwaway comment about sex in space, but when we checked, we were surprised the sector has not openly considered the risks and this led to the study,” said author David Cullen, professor of astrobiology and space biotechnology at Cranfield University, in a statement from the university.

At the end of the day, when humans become a space-faring species, the act will be essential for our long-term survival.

While government organizations like NASA have expressly forbidden astronauts from attempting sex (booooring!), other spacey scientists are less prudish when it comes to doin’ it in the final frontier:

“Given the long-term importance of human reproduction beyond Earth, as humanity is trying to become a multi-planetary species, we need to take seriously the possible first step, whether this is planned, or especially if unplanned,” said Egbert Edelbroek, a co-author of the report and the head of SpaceBorn United, a Netherlands-based organization studying reproduction in space.

Meanwhile, on the ground, there are a lot of important questions to consider when it comes to sex in space:

For one, the microgravity environment of space—and the weightlessness it causes in astronauts—will undoubtedly complicate any attempts. These conditions likely won’t just make the physical maneuvering of sexual intercourse tricky, but could negatively affect people’s sexual function too. And even if you can pull it off, there’s also the concern that space could harm human reproductive health, which might then make conception and gestation riskier than it is on Earth.

If you thought getting it on was complicated and nuanced here on Earth, don’t even think about doing it up there.

Venus and Mars might be closer than ever before, but that doesn’t mean things will go smoothly.

[source:gizmodo]