[Reading Science] "Sex Life in Space, Time to Prepare Now"

David Cullen, Professor at Cranfield University, UK
"Era of Low Earth Orbit and Civilian Space Travel Opens"
"Sexual Activity in Space to Become Reality Within 10 Years"
"Concerns Over Fatal Adverse Effects on Fetuses During Pregnancy"
"Space Travel Companies and Organizations Must Prepare Measures"

As humanity's expansion into space grows with space tourism, lunar colonization, and Mars exploration, there are calls for research and preparation regarding sexual activity, pregnancy, and childbirth in space.

Astronaut

David Cullen, a professor at Cranfield University in the UK, pointed this out in an article published on June 5 (local time) on the space-specialized media 'Space.com'.

Until now, space travel was considered a distant future. However, recently, low Earth orbit space tourism has been taking place, involving a few minutes of flight around an altitude of about 100 km, enjoying weightlessness and admiring the spectacular views of Earth and space. Long-term space travel is also expected to become a reality soon. A representative example is the Starship, a super-large spacecraft being developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX. It is being developed for Mars exploration, carrying more people and cargo, with a travel time of about six months, and is expected to operate regularly within a few years. The interior is spacious enough to guarantee personal space. Programs for staying at space stations or touring around the Moon are already attracting general passengers.

Professor Cullen said, "The era of long-distance space travel for space tourism and development with various motivations is opening, not just short-term trips by professional astronauts as it is now," and added, "In particular, humans have a knack for sharing intimate moments in unexpected places."

Accordingly, Professor Cullen argues that sexual activity in space will become a reality within the next decade, and pregnancy and childbirth issues will arise, requiring sufficient research and preparation. He said, "The real concern is not sexual intercourse itself but pregnancy in space," pointing out, "Early orbital space trips last from several days to a few weeks, during which the initial stages of reproduction can occur." Of course, pregnant passengers are expected to be prohibited from boarding spacecraft. However, it is difficult to prevent boarding by pregnant women who hide or are unaware of their pregnancy. Some pregnant women do not even know they are pregnant until just before childbirth.

The serious issue is that although early pregnancy space travel may have significant adverse effects on the fetus, humanity knows very little about it. It is well known that long-term stays in space are harmful to the human body. Without the influence of gravity, weight loss, muscle loss, and osteoporosis occur. Observations also show increased pressure inside the skull, blurred vision, and changes in brain structure. Increased exposure to radiation raises the risk of cancer. However, there are experimental results from sending mouse embryos into space on satellites and observing changes. In September 2020, a research team from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, observed unimplanted mouse embryos in space and reported that although they grew, the blastocyst formation rate decreased, quality was damaged, and severe DNA damage occurred in embryonic cells. Therefore, it can be inferred that humans will also be affected to some extent during pregnancy and childbirth resulting from sexual intercourse in space.

Professor Cullen pointed out, "There is a possibility of abnormalities occurring when human embryos fertilized in space develop," and warned, "There is also a high risk of ectopic pregnancy, such as embryos attaching outside the uterus, like in the fallopian tubes, in a weightless environment." He added, "Even if contraceptive pills are used, it is uncertain whether they will be as effective as on Earth," and "There has been no research so far on contraceptives effective in the space environment."

Moreover, companies currently operating or preparing space travel programs have no measures for these issues. There are also no measures to prevent sexual violence inside spacecraft. Professor Cullen said, "Space travel companies and related organizations urgently need to discuss solutions to this problem," and suggested, "Before space travel, all participants should be thoroughly informed about the risks of pregnancy in space, and in case of pregnancy, measures such as exempting the company from legal liability could be considered first."