Sex in space could be a problem for space tourism

A post on The Conversation website this week warned of a topic that has hitherto been a staple of science fiction movies: sex in space and its possible consequences For companies that organize tourist trips beyond the Kármán line. This point is the imaginary boundary between Earth and space.

Professor David Cullen of Cranfield University in the UK, co-author of a “green paper” (public evaluation consultancy) on the subject, stated that the research concludes that space tourism companies are not yet prepared for results, for example. “The frenzy of human understanding in space”.

As space tourism grows over the next decade, with flights that can take days to weeks, the motivations of the participants will certainly differ from those of professional astronauts, the authors say. well, Even with exposure to microgravity and high levels of ionizing radiation, people will not stop having sex.

What “sexual problems” are predicted by scientists?

“The real concern isn’t the sexual interactions per se,” Cullen explains, but rather a possible pregnancy in space. Since the first space tourism flights were designed to last from days to weeks, it’s possible that conception was only in the early stages. will happen.

even pregnant passengers — those who are prohibited from boarding the plane — they can do this if they are not aware of their situation.

Therefore, the risks of abnormal development in human embryos engineered in space are still unknown. The risk of ectopic pregnancy also increases when the embryo attaches itself outside the uterus due to weightlessness. Additionally, there are no studies of the effectiveness of contraceptives in this setting.

Other risks to the space tourism industry

According to the article, ignorance or willful neglect by the space tourism industry of the consequences of having sex on tourist trips to space star exposes companies to business risks. These issues can include litigation, reputational damage and even financial losses if female passengers become pregnant during the flight.

There is also the risk of ubiquitous sexual assault when it comes to space travel, which can be disastrous for a victim, whether passenger or crew member.

For the authors, it is clear that due to the multitude of actors and stakeholders involved in this issue, many relevant voices are not heard in the debates, but can influence the results.

Follow science and technology news on TecMundo here. If you wish, also read this: Sexual habits may be the cause of the throat cancer epidemic.