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For decades, the prospect of sex in space has ignited curiosity and raised a multitude of questions about the potential challenges involved. 

While the mechanics of such an endeavor remain uncharted territory, the most significant concerns revolve around human reproduction and the potential effects of microgravity and radiation on both the mother and the baby. 

Understanding safe human reproduction in space underscores the seriousness with which space agencies and researchers are approaching this topic.

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Sex in Space - Procreation not Recreation

The crux of the matter is that future space explorations, particularly journeys to Mars, could span more than six months. As a result, the possibility of pregnancy during these extended missions becomes an issue of interest. 

Dr. Teruhiko Wakayama, leading a study at the University of Yamanashi in Japan, noted, "We are conducting research to ensure we will be able to safely have children if that time comes." This endeavor to ensure safe human reproduction in space underscores the seriousness with which space agencies and researchers are approaching this intriguing topic.

However, a groundbreaking experiment conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) has taken us one step closer to understanding the viability of human reproduction in space.

The Experiments

NASA has done groundbreaking experiments on the ISS to assess the potential effects of space conditions on embryo development. The concern was that microgravity would be a complication factor for the embryo.

Further research is required before human conception in space can become a reality. However, there were promising results, published in the October 2023  iScience. And

 these findings build upon a previous NASA experiment in which pregnant rats were sent to the ISS during the second half of their pregnancy. 

Scientists extracted mouse embryos at the two-cell stage and froze them before their journey into space aboard a SpaceX rocket. Once in orbit, astronauts thawed the embryos and cultured them for four days – the maximum duration they can survive outside a uterus. Subsequently, the embryos were chemically preserved and returned to Earth for analysis. 

The embryos exhibited no signs of DNA damage from radiation or abnormal structural development due to the microgravity environment.

Space Tourism

The rise of space tourism has also prompted a reevaluation of research priorities in human reproduction in space. A report titled "Sex in Space: Consideration of Uncontrolled Human Conception in Emerging Space Tourism" underscores the potential challenges that may arise as more civilians embark on space journeys. 

The report notes, "This raises the possibility of uncontrolled human conception in space. Potential detrimental outcomes and risks include those of a biological nature such as maternal complications related to conception and embryo, fetal, neonatal, and later abnormalities."

Space tourists may not be planning on staying celibate while they are orbiting. But nothing has gone public about the mechanics of that process. 

In 2015, an online porn site attempted to make history in the adult film industry by filming a sex tape in outer space. Pornhub even tried to crowdfund its Sexploration project. But the project was shot down before it launched.

A Future Interplanetary Species

Last year NASA proposed studying sex in space. And conducted a study into the effects of microgravity and space radiation on human sperm motility. But the results aren’t published yet.

While this research is of paramount importance for the future of space exploration, it faces numerous challenges. National space agencies have been slow to engage in extensive human-centered studies on this topic.

Professional astronauts, in particular, are unlikely to risk their careers and reputations by engaging in unsanctioned orbital activities. 

Nevertheless, as humanity's aspirations of becoming an interplanetary species become more concrete, these questions regarding human reproduction in space must be addressed. 

The ability to conceive and bear children in space is not only a scientific curiosity but a vital consideration for the survival and continuation of civilization in the cosmos.